Dylan’s lyrics have incorporated a variety of political, social, philosophical, and literary influences. They defied existing pop music conventions and appealed hugely to the then burgeoning counterculture. Initially inspired by the performance style of Little Richard, and the songwriting of Woody Guthrie, Robert Johnson, and Hank Williams, Dylan has both amplified and personalized musical genres. His recording career, spanning fifty years, has explored many of the traditions in American song—from folk, blues, and country to gospel, rock and roll, and rockabilly to English, Scottish, and Irish folk music, embracing even jazz and swing. Dylan performs with guitar, keyboards, and harmonica. Backed by a changing line-up of musicians, he has toured steadily since the late 1980s on what has been dubbed the Never Ending Tour. His accomplishments as a recording artist and performer have been central to his career, but his greatest contribution is generally considered his songwriting.

Dylan’s parents, Abram Zimmerman and Beatrice “Beatty” Stone, were part of the area’s small but close-knit Jewish community. Robert Zimmerman lived in Duluth until age six, when his father was stricken with polio and the family returned to his mother’s home town, Hibbing, where Zimmerman spent the rest of his childhood. Robert Zimmerman spent his early years listening to the radio—first to blues and country stations broadcasting from Shreveport, Louisiana, and, as a teen, to early rock and roll. Zimmerman formed several bands while attending Hibbing High School. In the Golden Chords, he performed covers of songs by Little Richard and Elvis Presley. Their performance of Danny & the Juniors‘ “Rock and Roll Is Here to Stay” at their high school talent show was so loud that the principal cut the microphone off. In 1959, his high school yearbook carried the caption: “Robert Zimmerman: to join ‘Little Richard’.” The same year, using the name Elston Gunnn [sic], he performed two dates with Bobby Vee, playing piano and supplying handclaps.

Zimmerman moved to Minneapolis in September 1959, where he enrolled at the University of Minnesota. His early focus on rock and roll gave way to an interest in American folk music; in 1985, Dylan explained the attraction that folk music had exerted on him:

The thing about rock’n’roll is that for me anyway it wasn’t enough … There were great catch-phrases and driving pulse rhythms … but the songs weren’t serious or didn’t reflect life in a realistic way. I knew that when I got into folk music, it was more of a serious type of thing. The songs are filled with more despair, more sadness, more triumph, more faith in the supernatural, much deeper feelings.

He soon began to perform at the Ten O’Clock Scholar, a coffeehouse a few blocks from campus, and became actively involved in the local Dinkytownfolk music circuit.

During his Dinkytown days, Zimmerman began introducing himself as “Bob Dylan”. In his memoir, Dylan acknowledged that he had been influenced by the poetry of Dylan Thomas. Explaining his change of name in a 2004 interview, Dylan remarked: “You’re born, you know, the wrong names, wrong parents. I mean, that happens. You call yourself what you want to call yourself. This is the land of the free.”

1960s

Relocation to New York and record deal

In May 1960, Dylan dropped out of college at the end of his first year. In January 1961, he traveled to New York City, hoping to perform there and visit his musical idol Woody Guthrie, who was seriously ill with Huntington’s disease in Greystone Park Psychiatric Hospital. Guthrie had been a revelation to Dylan and was the biggest influence on his early performances. Describing Guthrie’s impact on him, Dylan later wrote: “The songs themselves had the infinite sweep of humanity in them … [He] was the true voice of the American spirit. I said to myself I was going to be Guthrie’s greatest disciple.” As well as visiting Guthrie in the hospital, Dylan befriended Guthrie’s acolyte Ramblin’ Jack Elliott. Much of Guthrie’s repertoire was actually channeled through Elliott, and Dylan paid tribute to Elliott in Chronicles: Volume One (2004).

From February 1961, Dylan played at various clubs around Greenwich Village. He befriended and picked up material from many folk singers in the Village scene, including Dave Van Ronk, Fred Neil, Odetta, the New Lost City Ramblers, and Irish musicians The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem. In September, Dylan gained some public recognition when Robert Shelton wrote a positive review in The New York Times of a show at Gerde’s Folk City. The same month Dylan played harmonica on folk singer Carolyn Hester‘s eponymous third album, which brought his talents to the attention of the album’s producer, John Hammond. Hammond signed Dylan to Columbia Records in October. The performances on his first Columbia album, Bob Dylan, released in March 1962, consisted of familiar folk, blues and gospel material combined with two original compositions. The album made little impact, selling only 5,000 copies in its first year, just enough to break even. Within Columbia Records, some referred to the singer as “Hammond’s Folly” and suggested dropping his contract, but Hammond defended Dylan vigorously and was supported by Johnny Cash, an early fan of Dylan. In March 1962, Dylan contributed harmonica and back-up vocals to the album Three Kings and the Queen, accompanying Victoria Spivey and Big Joe Williams on a recording for Spivey Records. While working for Columbia, Dylan also recorded several songs under the pseudonym Blind Boy Grunt, for Broadside magazine, a folk music magazine and record label. Dylan used the pseudonym Bob Landy to record as a piano player on The Blues Project, a 1964 anthology album issued by Elektra Records. Under the pseudonym Tedham Porterhouse, Dylan contributed harmonica to Ramblin’ Jack Elliott’s 1964 album Jack Elliott.

Dylan made two important career moves in August 1962. He legally changed his name to Bob Dylan, and he signed a management contract with Albert Grossman. (In June 1961, Dylan had signed an agreement with Roy Silver. In 1962, Grossman paid Silver $10,000 to become the sole manager of Dylan’s career.) Grossman remained Dylan’s manager until 1970, and was notable both for his sometimes confrontational personality, and for the fiercely protective loyalty he displayed towards his principal client. Dylan subsequently said of Grossman, “He was kind of like a Colonel Tom Parker figure … you could smell him coming.” Tensions between Grossman and John Hammond led to Hammond being replaced as the producer of Dylan’s second album by the young African American jazz producer Tom Wilson.

From December 1962 to January 1963, Dylan made his first trip to the United Kingdom. He had been invited by TV director Philip Saville to appear in a drama, Madhouse on Castle Street, which Saville was directing for BBC Television. At the end of the play, Dylan performed “Blowin’ in the Wind”, one of the first public performances of the song. The film recording of Madhouse on Castle Street was destroyed by the BBC in 1968. While in London, Dylan performed at several London folk clubs, including The Troubadour, Les Cousins, and Bunjies. He also learned new material from several UK performers, including Martin Carthy.

By the time Dylan’s second album, The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan, was released in May 1963, he had begun to make his name as both a singer and a songwriter. Many of the songs on this album were labeled protest songs, inspired partly by Guthrie and influenced by Pete Seeger‘s passion for topical songs. “Oxford Town”, for example, was a sardonic account of James Meredith‘s ordeal as the first black student to risk enrollment at the University of Mississippi.

His most famous song at this time, “Blowin’ in the Wind“, partially derived its melody from the traditional slave song “No More Auction Block”, while its lyrics questioned the social and political status quo. The song was widely recorded and became an international hit for Peter, Paul and Mary, setting a precedent for many other artists who had hits with Dylan’s songs. “A Hard Rain’s a-Gonna Fall” was based on the tune of the folk ballad “Lord Randall“. With its veiled references to an impending apocalypse, the song gained even more resonance when the Cuban missile crisis developed only a few weeks after Dylan began performing it. Like “Blowin’ in the Wind”, “A Hard Rain’s a-Gonna Fall” marked an important new direction in modern songwriting, blending a stream-of-consciousness, imagist lyrical attack with a traditional folk form.

While Dylan’s topical songs solidified his early reputation, Freewheelin’ also included a mixture of love songs and jokey, surreal talking blues. Humor was a large part of Dylan’s persona, and the range of material on the album impressed many listeners, including The Beatles. George Harrison said, “We just played it, just wore it out. The content of the song lyrics and just the attitude—it was incredibly original and wonderful.”

The rough edge of Dylan’s singing was unsettling to some early listeners but an attraction to others. Describing the impact that Dylan had on her and her husband, Joyce Carol Oates wrote: “When we first heard this raw, very young, and seemingly untrained voice, frankly nasal, as if sandpaper could sing, the effect was dramatic and electrifying.” Many of his most famous early songs first reached the public through more immediately palatable versions by other performers, such as Joan Baez, who became Dylan’s advocate, as well as his lover. Baez was influential in bringing Dylan to national and international prominence by recording several of his early songs and inviting him onstage during her own concerts.

“Mixed Up Confusion”, recorded during the Freewheelin’ sessions with a backing band, was released as a single and then quickly withdrawn. In contrast to the mostly solo acoustic performances on the album, the single showed a willingness to experiment with a rockabilly sound. Cameron Crowe described it as “a fascinating look at a folk artist with his mind wandering towards Elvis Presley and Sun Records.”[54]

Never Ending Tour

The Never Ending Tour commenced on June 7, 1988, and Dylan has played roughly 100 dates a year for the entirety of the 1990s and 2000s—a heavier schedule than most performers who started out in the 1960s. By May 2013, Dylan and his band had played more than 2,500 shows,anchored by long-time bassist Tony Garnier, multi-instrumentalist Donnie Herron, and guitarist Charlie Sexton. To the dismay of some of his audience, Dylan’s performances remain unpredictable as he alters his arrangements and changes his vocal approach night after night. Critical opinion about Dylan’s shows remains divided. Critics such as Richard Williams and Andy Gill have argued that Dylan has found a successful way to present his rich legacy of material. Others have criticized his live performances for mangling and spitting out “the greatest lyrics ever written so that they are effectively unrecognisable”, and giving so little to the audience that “it is difficult to understand what he is doing on stage at all.”

Dylan’s performances in China in April 2011 generated controversy. Some criticised him for not making any explicit comment on the political situation in China, and for, allegedly, allowing the Chinese authorities to censor his set-list. Others defended Dylan’s performances, arguing that such criticism represented a misunderstanding of Dylan’s art, and that no evidence for the censorship

of Dylan’s set-list existed. In response to these allegations, Dylan posted a statement on his website: “As far as censorship goes, the Chinese government had asked for the names of the songs that I would be playing. There’s no logical answer to that, so we sent them the set lists from the previous 3 months. If there were any songs, verses or lines censored, nobody ever told me about it and we played all the songs that we intended to play.”

In March and April 2014, Dylan and his band performed in Japan and Hawaii. In June and July Dylan toured Europe, commencing in Ireland and ending in Finland. Dylan commenced his tour of Australia and New Zealand on August 4, 2014, and concluded it in Christchurch on September 10. Dylan commenced a tour of the US in Seattle on October 17, 2014, which is scheduled to end in New York on December 3.

Artist

Over a decade after Random House had published Drawn Blank (1994), a book of Dylan’s drawings, The Drawn Blank Series opened in October 2007 at the Kunstsammlungen in Chemnitz, Germany. This first public exhibition of Dylan’s paintings showcased more than 200 watercolors and gouaches made from the original drawings. The exhibition coincided with the publication of the book Bob Dylan: The Drawn Blank Series, which includes 170 reproductions from the series. From September 2010 until April 2011, the National Gallery of Denmark exhibited 40 large-scale acrylic paintings by Dylan, The Brazil Series.

In July 2011, a leading contemporary art gallery, Gagosian Gallery, announced their representation of Dylan’s paintings. An exhibition of Dylan’s art, The Asia Series, opened at the Gagosian Madison Avenue Gallery on September 20, displaying Dylan’s paintings of scenes in China and the Far East. The New York Times reported that “some fans and Dylanologists have raised questions about whether some of these paintings are based on the singer’s own experiences and observations, or on photographs that are widely available and were not taken by Mr. Dylan.” The Times pointed to close resemblances between Dylan’s paintings and historic photos of Japan and China, and photos taken by Dmitri Kessel and Henri Cartier-Bresson. The Magnum photo agency confirmed that Dylan had licensed the reproduction rights of these photographs.

Dylan’s second show at the Gagosian Gallery, Revisionist Art, opened in November, 2012. The show consisted of thirty paintings, transforming and satirizing popular magazines including Playboy and Babytalk. In February 2013, Dylan exhibited the New Orleans Series of paintings at the Palazzo Reale in Milan. In August 2013, Britain’s National Portrait Gallery in London hosted Dylan’s first major UK exhibition, Face Value, featuring twelve pastel portraits.

In November 2013, the Halcyon Gallery, London, hosted an exhibition of seven wrought iron gates that Dylan had created. The exhibition was titled Mood Swings. In a statement released by the gallery, Dylan said: “I’ve been around iron all my life ever since I was a kid. I was born and raised in iron ore country, where you could breathe it and smell it every day. Gates appeal to me because of the negative space they allow. They can be closed but at the same time they allow the seasons and breezes to enter and flow. They can shut you out or shut you in. And in some ways there is no difference.”

Since 1994 , Bob Dylan has published six books of painting and drawing.

Bob Seger,

Robert Clark “Bob” Seger (born May 6, 1945) is an American rock singer-songwriter, guitarist and pianist. As a locally successful Detroit-area artist, he performed and recorded as Seger and the Last Heard and Seger System throughout the 1960s. By the early 1970s, he had dropped the “System” from his recordings and continued to strive for broader success with various other bands. In 1973, he put together the Silver Bullet Band, a group of Detroit-area musicians, with whom he became most successful on the national level with the album Live Bullet, recorded live with the Silver Bullet Band in 1975 at Cobo Hall in Detroit, Michigan. In 1976, he achieved a national breakout with the studio album Night Moves. On his studio albums, he also worked extensively with the Alabama-based Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section, which appeared on several of Seger’s best-selling singles and albums.

Seger was born to Stewart and Charlotte Seger of Dearborn, Michigan, and lived in the area until age 6 when his family moved to nearby Ann Arbor, Michigan. He has an older brother, George.

Seger’s father, a medical technician for the Ford Motor Company, played several instruments and Seger was exposed to music from an early age. Seger was also exposed to frequent arguments between his parents that disturbed the neighborhood at night. In 1956, when Seger was 10 years old, his father abandoned the family and moved to California. The remaining family soon lost their comfortable middle-class status and struggled financially.

Seger attended Tappan Junior High School, (Ann Arbor, Michigan) (now Tappan Middle School) and graduated from Pioneer High School in 1963 (at the time it was known as Ann Arbor High School). He ran track and field in high school. Seger also went to Lincoln Park High School for a year.

As far as his early musical inspirations are concerned, Seger has stated, “Little Richard – he was the first one that really got to me. Little Richard and, of course, Elvis Presley.” “Come Go With Me” by The Del-Vikings, a hit in 1957, was the first record he bought.

Regional favorite: 1961–1976

The Decibels & The Town Criers

Seger arrived on the Detroit music scene in 1961 fronting a three-piece band called the Decibels. The band included Seger on guitar, piano, keyboards, and vocals, Pete Stanger on guitar, and H.B. Hunter on drums. All of the members attended Ann Arbor High. The Decibels recorded an acetate demo of a song called “The Lonely One”, at Del Shannon‘s studio in 1961. As well as being Seger’s first original song, “The Lonely One” was Seger’s first song to be played on the radio, airing only once on an Ann Arbor radio station.

After the Decibels disbanded, Seger joined the Town Criers, a four-piece band with Seger on lead vocals, John Flis on bass, Pep Perrine on drums, and Larry Mason on lead guitar. The Town Criers, covering songs like “Louie Louie“, began gaining a steady following. Meanwhile, Seger was listening to James Brown and said that, for him and his friends, Live at the Apollo was their favorite record following its release in 1963. Seger was also widely influenced by the music of The Beatles, once they hit American shores in 1964. In general, he and local musician friends such as future EagleGlenn Frey bought into the premises of 1960s pop and rock radio, with its hook-driven hits; he later recalled he and Frey thinking at the time, “You’re nobody if you can’t get on the radio.”

Doug Brown & The Omens

As the Town Criers began landing more gigs, Bob Seger met a man named Doug Brown, backed by a band called the Omens. Seger joined Doug Brown & the Omens, who presumably had a bigger following than the Town Criers. While Doug Brown was the primary lead vocalist for the group, Seger would take the lead on some songs—covering R&B numbers. It was with this group that Seger first appeared on an officially released recording: the 1965 single “TGIF” backed with “First Girl”, credited to Doug Brown and the Omens. Seger later appeared on Doug Brown and the Omens’ parody of Barry Sadler‘s song “Ballad of the Green Berets” which was re-titled “Ballad of the Yellow Beret” and mocked draft dodgers. Soon after its release, Sadler and his record label threatened Brown and his band with a lawsuit and the recording was withdrawn from the market.

While Bob was a member of the Omens, he met his longtime manager Edward “Punch” Andrews, who at the time was partnered with Dave Leone running the Hideout franchise, which consisted of two clubs where local acts would play and a small-scale record label. Seger began writing and producing for other acts that Punch was managing, such as the Mama Cats and the Mushrooms (with Frey). Seger and Doug Brown were then approached by Punch and Leone to write a song for the Underdogs, another local band who recently had a hit with a song called “Man in the Glass”. Seger contributed a song called “East Side Story“, which ultimately proved to be a failure for the Underdogs.

The Last Heard

Seger decided to record “East Side Story” himself, and officially left the Omens (though he did retain Doug Brown as a producer). As Bob Seger and the Last Heard, Seger released his version of the song with Hideout Records in January 1966, and it became his first big Detroit hit. The single (backed with “East Side Sound”, an instrumental version of “East Side Story”) sold 50,000 copies, mostly in the Detroit area, and led to a contract with Cameo-Parkway Records. Though the name “The Last Heard” originally referred to the collection of Omens and Town Criers who recorded “East Side Story” with Seger, it soon became the name of Seger’s permanent band, which consisted of former Town Crier Pep Perrine on drums, Carl Lagassa on guitar, and Dan Honaker on bass. Following “East Side Story”, the group released four more singles: the James Brown-inspired holiday single “Sock It to Me Santa”, the Dylan-esque “Persecution Smith”, “Vagrant Winter”, and perhaps the most notable, “Heavy Music“, released in 1967. “Heavy Music”, which sold even more copies than “East Side Story”, had potential to break out nationally when Cameo-Parkway suddenly went out of business. It was actually a top 100 hit in Canada, where it topped out on the national RPM charts at #82; in the US, it just missed the Hot 100, peaking on the “bubbling under” chart at #103. The song would stay in Seger’s live act for many years to come.

The Bob Seger System

After Cameo-Parkway folded, Seger and Punch began searching for a new label. In the spring of 1968, Seger & the Last Heard signed with major label Capitol Records, turning down Motown Records, who offered more money than Capitol. Seger felt that Capitol was more appropriate for his genre than Motown.

Capitol changed the name of the band to The Seger System. In the transition between labels, guitarist Carl Lagassa left the band and keyboard player Bob Schultz joined. The System’s first single with Capitol was the anti-war message song “2 + 2 = ?“, which reflected a marked change in Seger’s political attitudes from “The Ballad of the Yellow Beret”. The single was again a hit in Detroit and hit number 1 on radio stations in Buffalo, New York and Orlando, Florida, but went unnoticed almost everywhere else, and failed to chart nationally in the US. The single did, however, make the Canadian national charts, peaking at #79.

Seger was unable to follow up this success. For the next album, singer/songwriter Tom Neme joined The System, ultimately writing and singing the majority of the tunes featured, for which the group was heavily criticized. The album, called Noah, failed to chart at all, leading Seger to briefly quit the music industry and attend college. He returned the following year and put out the System’s final album, 1970’s Mongrel, this time without Tom Neme. Bob Schultz left the band as well, being replaced by Dan Watson. Mongrel, with the powerful single “Lucifer“, was considered to be a strong album by many critics and Detroit fans, but failed to do well commercially.

Solo

After Mongrel failed to live-up to the success of Ramblin’ Gamblin’ Man, The System dissipated. For a short period of time following the breakup, Seger had ambitions to be a one-man act. In 1971, Seger released his first solo album, the all-acoustic Brand New Morning. The album was a commercial failure and led to Seger’s departure from Capitol Records.[8][14]

Seger, having regained an eye for bands, began playing with the duo Teegarden & Van Winkle, who in 1970 had a hit single with God, Love and Rock & Roll. Together they recorded Smokin’ O.P.’s, released on Punch Andrews’ own Palladium Records. The album mainly consisted of covers, spawning a minor hit with a version of Tim Hardin‘s If I Were a Carpenter (#76 US), though it did feature Someday, a new Seger original, and a re-release of Heavy Music. The album reached 180 on the Billboard 200.

After spending the better part of 1972 touring with Teegarden & Van Winkle, Seger left the duo to put together a new backing band, referred to as both My Band and the Borneo Band, made up of musicians from Tulsa, Oklahoma. Jamie Oldaker, Dick Sims, and Marcy Levy were all members of My Band before joining Eric Clapton‘s backing band. In 1974, Seger put out Back in ’72, recorded partly with the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section, a renowned group of session musicians who had recorded with the likes of J. J. Cale and Aretha Franklin. According to Seger, there was a financial misunderstanding with the musicians: they offered to record him “for $1500 a side”, which he took to mean $1500 per album side. When he found out that they meant $1500 per song, he left after recording three songs but resolved to work with them in the future. Back in ’72 featured the studio version of Seger’s later live classic Turn the Page; Rosalie, a song Seger wrote about CKLW music director Rosalie Trombley (and which was later recorded by Thin Lizzy); and “I’ve Been Working“, a song originally by Van Morrison, a strong influence on Seger’s musical development. Despite the strength of Seger’s backup musicians, the album only reached 188 on the US charts and has since faded into obscurity. Even so, Back in ’72 and its supporting tour mark the beginnings of Seger’s long-time relationships with future Silver Bullet Band saxophonist Alto Reed, powerhouse female vocalist Shaun Murphy, and the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section. Over the tour, My Band would prove to be unreliable, which frustrated Seger. By the end of 1973, Seger had left My Band in search of a new backing band.

The Silver Bullet Band

In 1974, Seger formed the Silver Bullet Band. Its original members were guitarist Drew Abbott, drummer and backup-singer Charlie Allen Martin, keyboard-player Rick Mannassa, bass guitarist Chris Campbell, and saxophone player Alto Reed (then known as Tom Cartmell). With this new band sitting in occasionally, Seger released the album Seven, which contained the Detroit-area hard-rock hit “Get Out of Denver”. This track was a modest success and charted at #80 nationally.

In 1975, Seger returned to Capitol Records and released the album Beautiful Loser, with help from the Silver Bullet Band (with new keyboardist Robyn Robbins replacing Mannassa) on his cover of the Tina Turner penned “Nutbush City Limits“. The album’s single “Katmandu” which was featured in the 1985 movie “Mask” starring Cher (in addition to being another substantial Detroit-area hit) was Seger’s first real national break-out track since “Ramblin’ Gamblin’ Man”. Although it just missed the US Pop Top 40 – peaking at #43 – the song received strong airplay in a number of markets nationwide including Detroit.

In April 1976, Seger and the Silver Bullet Band released the album Live Bullet, recorded over two nights in Detroit’s Cobo Arena in September 1975. It contained Seger’s rendition of “Nutbush City Limits” as well as Seger’s own classic take on life on the road, “Turn the Page“, from Back in ’72. It also included his late 1960s successful releases – “Heavy Music” and “Ramblin’ Gamblin’ Man”. Critic Dave Marsh later wrote that “Live Bullet is one of the best live albums ever made … In spots, particularly during the medley of “Travelin’ Man”/”Beautiful Loser” on side one, Seger sounds like a man with one last shot at the top.” An instant best-seller in Detroit, Live Bullet began to get attention in other parts of the country, selling better than Seger’s previous albums, getting progressive rock radio and album-oriented rock airplay, and enabling Seger to headline more shows. Yet still, Seger had a popularity imbalance. In June 1976, he was a featured performer at the Pontiac Silverdome outside Detroit in front of nearly 80,000 fans. The next night, Seger played before fewer than a thousand people in Chicago.

Peak of success: 1976–1987

Seger in 1977.

Seger finally achieved his commercial breakthrough with his October 1976 album Night Moves. The title song “Night Moves” was a highly evocative, nostalgic, time-spanning tale that was not only critically praised, but became a #4 hit single on the Billboard pop singles chart as well as a heavy album-oriented rock airplay mainstay. The album also contained “Mainstreet” (written about Ann Arbor’s Ann Street), a #24 hit ballad that emphasized Seger’s heartland rock credentials as well as guitarist Pete Carr‘s haunting lead guitar. The album also featured the anthem “Rock and Roll Never Forgets”. Night Moves was Seger’s first top ten album in the Billboard album chart, and as of 2006 was certified at 6 million copies in the United States alone – making it the biggest-selling studio album of his entire career. Furthermore, it activated sales of Seger’s recent back catalog, so that Beautiful Loser would eventually sell 2 million and Live Bullet would go on to sell some 5 million copies in the United States. Indeed, Live Bullet stayed on the Billboard charts for 168 weeks and it remains one of the ten best-selling live albums of all time.

The following year, original Silver Bullet drummer Charlie Allen Martin was hit by a car from behind while walking on a service road, and was left unable to walk. David Teegarden, drummer for Seger on the Smokin’ O.P.’s album, replaced him. Despite the loss, Seger followed up strongly with 1978’s Stranger in Town. The first single, “Still the Same“, emphasized Seger’s talent for mid-tempo numbers that revealed a sense of purpose, and reached #4 on the pop singles chart. “Hollywood Nights” was an up-tempo #12 hit rocker, while “We’ve Got Tonight” was a slow ballad that reached #13 on the Hot 100. (The latter became an even bigger hit when country music superstar Kenny Rogers and pop singer Sheena Easton teamed up for a 1983 treatment of it that topped Billboard’s Country and Adult Contemporary charts.) “Old Time Rock and Roll“, a song from George Jackson and Thomas E. Jones III that Seger substantially rewrote the lyrics for, was not a big pop hit initially, but achieved substantial album track airplay. Moreover, it would later become one of Seger’s most recognizable songs following its memorable Tom Cruise-dancing-in-his-underwear use in the 1983 film Risky Business. Indeed, it has been ranked the second-most played Jukebox Single of all time, behind Patsy Cline‘s “Crazy“. The iconic recording of “Old Time Rock and Roll” was named one of the Songs of the Century in 2001. (Seger has ruefully remarked that not taking one-third writing credit on his recording was “the dumbest thing I ever did” financially.)

The live 1981 album Nine Tonight encapsulated this three-album peak of Seger’s commercial career. Seger’s take on Eugene Williams’ “Tryin’ To Live My Life Without You” became a Top Five hit from Nine Tonight and the album would go on to sell 4 million copies.

Seger released the acclaimed The Distance in the final days of 1982. During the recording of this album, Silver Bullet guitarist Drew Abbott left the band due to his frustration with Seger’s frequent use of session musicians in the studio, and was replaced by Dawayne Bailey. After the album’s release, David Teegarden also left the band due to internal conflict, and was replaced by ex-Grand Funk drummer Don Brewer. Critically praised for representing a more versatile sound than that of his recent material, The Distance spawned numerous hits beginning with Rodney Crowell‘s “Shame on the Moon“. It was the biggest hit of the Silver Bullet Band’s entire career, hitting #1 on the Adult Contemporary chart and holding at #2 for four consecutive weeks – behind Patti Austin and James Ingram‘s “Baby, Come to Me” and Michael Jackson‘s “Billie Jean” – on the Hot 100. It also crossed over to #15 on Billboard’s Country Singles chart. The follow-up single, “Even Now”, just missed the Top 10 and “Roll Me Away” peaked at #27. The driving album track “Making Thunderbirds” was a popular music video filmed in Detroit and well-received on MTV. Seger’s multi-platinum sales dropped off at this point, with The Distance peaking at #5 and selling only 1.9 million copies in the United States. (This album was belatedly released on 8 track tape; Capitol reportedly had no plans to do so, but Seger, guessing that a good many of his fans still had 8 track players in their vehicles, prevailed upon the label to release the album in that discontinued format as well.)

In 1984, Seger wrote and recorded the power rock ballad “Understanding” for the film soundtrack Teachers. The song was another Top 20 hit for Seger in late 1984. In 1986, he wrote and recorded “Living Inside My Heart” for the film soundtrack of About Last Night….

Seger was no longer as prolific and several years elapsed before his next studio album, Like a Rock emerged in the spring of 1986. The fast-paced “American Storm” was another Top 20 single aided by a popular music video featuring actress Lesley Ann Warren, and “Like a Rock” followed, reaching #12 on Billboard’s Hot 100. Later, it would become familiar to many Americans through its association with a long-running Chevroletad campaign (something Seger explicitly chose to do to support struggling American automobile workers in Detroit).[21] Seger’s 1986–1987 American Storm Tour was his self-stated last major tour, playing 105 shows over 9 months and selling almost 1.5 million tickets. Like a Rock reached #3 and eventually sold over 3 million copies although it has never been certified above platinum.

The following year Seger’s “Shakedown“, a somewhat uncharacteristic song off the 1987 film Beverly Hills Cop II‘s soundtrack, became his first and only #1 hit on the pop singles chart. The song had originally been intended for Seger’s fellow Detroiter Glenn Frey, but when he lost his voice just prior to the recording session, Frey called in Seger to take his place. Seger changed the verses of the song but kept the chorus the same. The song earned Seger an Academy Award nomination as co-writer in the Best Original Song category the following year.

Later years: 1988–present

Seger‘s next record was 1991’s The Fire Inside, at a time when glam metal, grunge and alternative rock were taking the forefront. His new music found little visibility on radio or elsewhere. The same was true of 1995’s It’s a Mystery, although the album was certified gold (500,000 copies sold). However, in 1994, Seger released Greatest Hits; the compilation album was his biggest-ever record in terms of sales, selling nearly 10 million copies in the United States as of 2010. Seger did go back on the road again for a 1996 tour, which was successful and sold the fourth-largest number of tickets of any North American tour that year. (Seger was once known for his concerts in small venues, as witnessed with his appearance at the 18th Amendment in Omaha, Nebraska.)

Seger’s first new album in eleven years, titled Face the Promise, was released in 2006. In its first 45 days, it sold more than 400,000 copies. The album sold over 1.2 million copies, returning Seger to platinum status and staying on the Billboard chart for several months. His supporting tour was also eagerly anticipated, with many shows selling out within minutes. Showing that Seger’s legendary appeal in Michigan had not diminished, all 10,834 tickets available for his first show at Grand Rapids’ Van Andel Arena sold out in under five minutes; three additional shows were subsequently added, each of which also sold out.

In 2009, Seger released a compilation album entitled Early Seger Vol. 1, which contained archival material from the 1970s and 1980s, including some fully or partially re-recorded tracks from his albums Smokin’ O.P.’s and Seven and some never-before-released songs. The album was initially only available for purchase at Meijer stores and then later for download at BobSeger.com. Seger contributed piano and vocals on Kid Rock’s 2010 album Born Free. Seger staged a successful arena tour during 2011, with another two-CD compilation album, Ultimate Hits: Rock and Roll Never Forgets, slated for release.[25] On May 28, 2011, Michigan Governor Rick Snyder proclaimed that date as Bob Seger Day for his more than 50 years of sharing his celebrated musical talents with fans all over the world.

On December 30, 2011, before a sell-out crowd at the Mandalay Bay Resort Arena in Las Vegas, Seger closed another successful tour though it’s likely not to be his last. On October 30, 2011, he told AnnArbor.com director Bob Needham he was returning to the studio to complete another new album for release in the fall of 2012, followed by another supporting tour.

On June 14, 2012, Seger was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. On January 10, 2013, Seger announced another tour in the US and Canada.

Seger’s latest studio album, Ride Out was released on October 14, 2014.

Personal life

Seger’s first marriage in 1968 lasted for ‘one day short of a year’. He had a long term relationship with Jan Dinsdale from 1972 until 1983. In 1987, he married actress Annette Sinclair and they divorced one year later. He married Juanita Dorricott in 1993, and they have two children, Samantha Char and Christopher Cole. Seger lives mainly at his home in Orchard Lake Village, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit.Bob Seger owns a condo in Naples, Florida.

Cat Stevens,

Yusuf Islam (born Steven Demetre Georgiou; 21 July 1948), commonly known by his former stage name Cat Stevens, is a British singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, humanitarian, and education philanthropist. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2014.

In December 1977, Stevens converted to Islam and adopted the name Yusuf Islam the following year. In 1979, he auctioned all his guitars for charity and left his music career to devote himself to educational and philanthropic causes in the Muslim community. He has received several awards for his work in promoting peace in the world, including the 2003 World Award, the 2004 Man of Peace Award, the 2007 Mediterranean Prize for Peace, and two honorary doctorate degrees for services to education and humanitarian relief from universities in the United Kingdom. Known professionally by the single name Yusuf, in 2006 he returned to pop music with his first album of new pop songs in 28 years, titled An Other Cup. In 2009, he released the album Roadsinger. In 2014, he released the album Tell ‘Em I’m Gone, and began his first US tour since 1978.

Steven Georgiou, born on 21 July 1948 in the Marylebone area of London, was the third child of a Greek Cypriot father, Stavros Georgiou (b. 1900), and a Swedish mother, Ingrid Wickman (b. 1915). Steven had an older sister, Anita, and a brother, David. The family lived above the Moulin Rouge, a restaurant that his parents operated on the north end of Shaftesbury Avenue which was a short walk from Piccadilly Circus in the Sohotheatre district of London. All family members worked in the restaurant. His parents divorced when he was about eight years old, but they continued to maintain the family restaurant and live above it.

Although his father was Greek Orthodox and his mother a Swedish Baptist, Georgiou was sent to St. Joseph Roman Catholic Primary School, Macklin Street, which was closer to his father’s business on Drury Lane. Georgiou developed an interest in piano at a fairly young age, eventually using the family baby grand piano to work out the chords, since no one else there played well enough to teach him. Inspired by the popularity of The Beatles, at 15 he extended his interest to the guitar, persuaded his father to pay £8 for his first instrument, and began playing it and writing songs. He would escape at times from his family responsibilities to the rooftop above their home, and listen to the tunes of the musicals drifting from just around the corner from Denmark Street, which was then the centre of the British music industry. Later, Stevens has emphasised that the advent of West Side Story in particular affected him, giving him a “different view of life”. With interests in both art and music, he and his mother moved to Gävle, Sweden, where he attended primary school (Solängsskolan) and started developing his drawing skills after being influenced by his uncle Hugo Wickman, a painter. They subsequently returned to England.

He attended other local West End schools, where he says he was constantly in trouble, and did poorly in everything but art. He was called “the artist boy” and mentions that “I was beat up, but I was noticed”. He went on to take a one-year course of study at Hammersmith School of Art,] as he considered a career as a cartoonist. Though he enjoyed art (his later record albums would feature his original artwork on his album covers), he wanted to establish a musical career and began to perform originally under the stage name “Steve Adams” in 1965 while at Hammersmith. At that point, his goal was to become a songwriter. As well as The Beatles, other musicians who influenced him were The Kinks,[27]Bob Dylan, Nina Simone, blues artists Lead Belly and Muddy Waters, Biff Rose (particularly Rose’s first album), Leo Kottke,[24] and Paul Simon.[29] He also wanted to emulate composers who wrote musicals, like Ira Gershwin and Leonard Bernstein. In 1965 he signed a publishing deal with Ardmore & Beechwood and recorded several demos, including “The First Cut Is the Deepest“.

Musical career (1966–1970)

Early musical career

Georgiou began to perform his songs in London coffee houses and pubs. At first he tried forming a band, but soon realised he preferred performing solo. Thinking that his given name might not be memorable to prospective fans, he chose a stage name Cat Stevens, in part because a girlfriend said he had eyes like a cat, but mainly because he said, “I couldn’t imagine anyone going to the record store and asking for ‘that Steven Demetre Georgiou album’. And in England, and I was sure in America, they loved animals.” In 1966, at age 18, he impressed manager/producer Mike Hurst, formerly of British vocal group The Springfields, with his songs and Hurst arranged for him to record a demo and then helped him get a record deal. The first singles were hits. “I Love My Dog“, charting on the UK Singles Chart at number 28, and “Matthew and Son“, the title song from his debut album, went to number 2 in the UK. “I’m Gonna Get Me a Gun” was his second UK top 10, reaching number 6, and the album Matthew and Son reached number 7 on the UK Albums Chart. The original version of The Tremeloes cover hit, “Here Comes My Baby“, was written and recorded by Stevens.

Over the next two years, Stevens recorded and toured with an eclectic group of artists ranging from Jimi Hendrix to Engelbert Humperdinck. Stevens was considered a fresh-faced teen star, placing several single releases in the British pop music charts. Some of that success was attributed to the pirate radio station Wonderful Radio London, which gained him fans by playing his records. In August 1967, he went on the air with other recording artists who had benefited from the station to mourn its closure.

Tuberculosis

Stevens contracted tuberculosis in 1969 and was close to death at the time of his admittance to the King Edward VII Hospital, Midhurst, West Sussex. He spent months recuperating in the hospital and a year of convalescence. During this time Stevens began to question aspects of his life and spirituality. He later said, “to go from the show business environment and find you are in hospital, getting injections day in and day out, and people around you are dying, it certainly changes your perspective. I got down to thinking about myself. It seemed almost as if I had my eyes shut.”

He took up meditation, yoga, and metaphysics; read about other religions; and became a vegetarian. As a result of his serious illness and long convalescence, and as a part of his spiritual awakening and questioning, he wrote as many as forty songs, many of which would appear on his albums in years to come.

Changes in musical sound after illness

The lack of success of Stevens’ second album mirrored a difference of personal tastes in musical direction, and a growing resentment at producer Mike Hurst’s attempts to re-create another album like that of his debut, with heavy-handed orchestration, and over-production,rather than the folk rock sound Stevens was attempting to produce. He admits having purposefully sabotaged his own contract with Hurst, making outlandishly expensive orchestral demands and threatening legal action, which resulted in his goal: release from his contract with Deram Records, a sub-label of major Decca Records. Upon regaining his health at home after his release from the hospital, Stevens recorded some of his newly written songs on his tape recorder, and played his changing sound for a few new record executives. After hiring agent Barry Krost, who had arranged for an audition with Chris Blackwell of Island Records, Blackwell offered him a “chance to record [his songs] whenever and with whomever he liked, and more importantly to Cat, however he liked”. With Krost’s recommendation, Stevens signed with Paul Samwell-Smith, previously the bassist of The Yardbirds, to be his new producer.

Musical career (1970–1978)

Height of popularity

Around this time, Stevens had a catalogue of new songs that reflected his new perspective on what he wanted to bring to the world with his music. His previous work had sold at home in the UK, but Stevens was still relatively unknown by the public across the Atlantic. To rectify this, after signing with Island Records in 1970, an American distribution deal was arranged with A&M Records‘ Jerry Moss in North America. Stevens began work on Mona Bone Jakon, a folk rock based album.

Producer Paul Samwell-Smith paired Stevens with guitarist Alun Davies, who was at that time working as a session musician. Davies was the more experienced veteran of two albums which already had begun to explore the emerging genres of skiffle and folk rock music. Davies was also thought a perfect fit with Stevens in particular for his “fingerwork” on the guitar, harmonising and his backing vocals. They originally met just to record Mona Bone Jakon, but developed a fast friendship. Davies, like Stevens, was a perfectionist, appearing at all sound checks to be sure that all the equipment and sound were prepared for each concert. He collaborated with Stevens on all but two of the succeeding albums Stevens released, and performed and recorded with him until Stevens’ retirement. Their friendship continued, however, and when Stevens re-emerged as Yusuf Islam after 27 years, Davies appeared again performing at his side, and has remained there.

The first single released from Mona Bone Jakon was “Lady D’Arbanville“, which Stevens wrote about his young American girlfriend Patti D’Arbanville. The record, with a madrigal sound unlike most music played on pop radio, with sounds of djembes and bass in addition to Stevens’ and Davies’ guitars, reached number 8 in the UK. It was the first of his hits to get real airplay in the US. It sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold record in 1971. Other songs written for D’Arbanville included “Maybe You’re Right”, and “Just Another Night”. In addition, the song “Pop Star”, about his experience as a teen star, and “Katmandu”, featuring Genesis frontman Peter Gabriel playing flute, were featured. Mona Bone Jakon was an early example of the solo singer-songwriter album format that was becoming popular for other artists as well. Rolling Stone magazine compared its popularity with that of Elton John‘s Tumbleweed Connection, saying it was played “across the board, across radio formats”.

Mona Bone Jakon was the precursor for Stevens’ international breakthrough album, Tea for the Tillerman, which became a Top 10 Billboard hit. Within six months of its release, it had sold over 500,000 copies, attaining gold record status in the United Kingdom and the United States. The combination of Stevens’ new folk rock style and accessible lyrics which spoke of everyday situations and problems, mixed with the beginning of spiritual questions about life, would remain in his music from then on. The album features the Top 20 single “Wild World“; a parting song after D’Arbanville moved on. “Wild World” has been credited as the song that gave Tea for the Tillerman ‘enough kick’ to get it played on FM radio; and the head of Island Records, Chris Blackwell, was quoted as calling it “the best album we’ve ever released”. Other album tracks include “Hard-Headed Woman”, and “Father and Son“, a song sung both in baritone and tenor, about the struggle between fathers and their sons who are faced with their own personal choices in life. In 2001, this album was certified by the RIAA as a Multi-Platinum record, having sold 3 million copies in the United States at that time. It is ranked at No. 206 in the 2003 list of “Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Albums of All Time“.

After the end of his relationship with D’Arbanville, Stevens noted the effect it had on writing his music, saying, “Everything I wrote while I was away was in a transitional period and reflects that. Like Patti. A year ago we split; I had been with her for two years. What I write about Patti and my family … when I sing the songs now, I learn strange things. I learn the meanings of my songs late …”

Having established a signature sound, Stevens enjoyed a string of successes over the following years. 1971’s Teaser and the Firecat album reached number two and achieved gold record status within three weeks of its release in the United States. It yielded several hits, including “Peace Train“, “Morning Has Broken“, and “Moonshadow“. This album was also certified by the RIAA as a Multi-Platinum record in 2001, with over three million sold in the United States through that time. When interviewed on a Boston radio station, Stevens said about Teaser and the Firecat:

I get the tune and then I just keep on singing the tune until the words come out from the tune. It’s kind of a hypnotic state that you reach after a while when you keep on playing it where words just evolve from it. So you take those words and just let them go whichever way they want …’Moonshadow’? Funny, that was in Spain, I went there alone, completely alone, to get away from a few things. And I was dancin’ on the rocks there … right on the rocks where the waves were, like, blowin’ and splashin’. Really, it was so fantastic. And the moon was bright, ya know, and I started dancin’ and singin’ and I sang that song and it stayed. It’s just the kind of moment that you want to find when you’re writin’ songs.

For seven months from 1971 to 1972 Stevens was romantically linked to popular singer Carly Simon while both were produced by Samwell-Smith. During that time both wrote songs for and about one another. Simon wrote and recorded at least two Top 50 songs, “Legend in Your Own Time” and “Anticipation” about Stevens. He reciprocated in his song to her, after their romance, titled, “Sweet Scarlet”.

His next album, Catch Bull at Four, released in 1972, was his most rapidly successful album in the United States, reaching gold record status in 15 days, and holding the number-one position on the Billboard charts for three weeks. This album continued the introspective and spiritual lyrics that he was known for, combined with a rougher-edged voice and a less acoustic sound than his previous records, using synthesisers and other instruments. Although the sales of the album indicated Stevens’ popularity, the album did not produce any real hits, with the exception of the single “Sitting”, which charted at number 16. Catch Bull at Four was Platinum certified in 2001.

After his religious conversion in the late 1970s, Stevens stopped granting permission for his songs to be used in films. However, almost twenty years later, in 1997, the movie Rushmore received his permission to use his songs “Here Comes My Baby” and “The Wind”, showing a new willingness on his part to release his music from his Western “pop star” days. This was followed in 2000 by the inclusion of “Peace Train” in the movie Remember the Titans, in 2000 by the use in Almost Famous of the song “The Wind”, and in 2006 the inclusion of “Peace Train” on the soundtrack to We Are Marshall. Since then, permission has been given for Cat Stevens songs to be used in the soundtracks for several movies and tv shows, including the song “Tea for The Tillerman” used as the theme tune for the Ricky GervaisBBC–HBO sitcom Extras. A Christmas-season television commercial for gift-giving by the diamond industry aired in 2006 with Cat Power‘s cover of “How Can I Tell You.”

Later recordings

Subsequent releases in the 1970s also did well on the charts and in ongoing sales, although they did not touch the success he had from 1970 to 1973. In 1973, Stevens moved to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, as a tax exile from the United Kingdom, however, he later donated the money to UNESCO. During that time he created the album Foreigner, which was a departure from the music that had brought him to the height of his fame. It was differed in several respects: entirely written by Stevens, he dropped his band and produced the record without the assistance of Samwell-Smith, who had played a large role in catapulting him to fame, and instead of guitar, he played keyboard instruments throughout the album. It was intended to show a funk/soul element rising in popularity that Stevens had come to appreciate. One side of Foreigner was continuous, much different from the radio-friendly pop tunes fans had come to expect. In November 1973 he performed side two of the album at the Aquarius Theater in Hollywood, with a pre-arranged uninterrupted quadraphonicsimulcast on the ABC network. The show was titled the “Moon and Star” concert. This performance did include his band, but they were all but overshadowed by an orchestra. The album produced a couple of singles including “The Hurt”, but did not reach the heights he had once enjoyed. The follow-up to Foreigner was Buddha and the Chocolate Box, largely a return to the instrumentation and styles employed in Teaser and the Firecat and Tea for the Tillerman. Featuring the return of Alun Davies and best known for “Oh Very Young“, Buddha and the Chocolate Box reached platinum status in 2001. Stevens’ next album was the concept albumNumbers, a less successful departure for him.

In April 1977, his Izitso album updated his pop rock and folk rock style with the extensive use of synthesisers, giving it a more synthpop style.”Was Dog a Doughnut” in particular was an early techno-pop fusion track and a precursor to the 1980s electro music genre, making early use of a music sequencer. Izitso included his last chart hit, “(Remember the Days of the) Old Schoolyard”, an early synthpop song that used a polyphonic synthesiser; it was a duet with fellow UK singer Elkie Brooks. Linda Lewis appears in the song’s video, with Cat Stevens singing to her, as they portray former schoolmates, singing to each other on a schoolyard merry-go-round. This is one of the few music videos that Stevens made, other than simple videos of concert performances.

His final original album under the name Cat Stevens was Back to Earth, released in late 1978, which was also the first album produced by Samwell-Smith since his peak in single album sales in the early 1970s.

Several compilation albums were released before and after he stopped recording. After Stevens left Decca Records they bundled his first two albums together as a set, hoping to ride the commercial tide of his early success; later his newer labels did the same, and he himself released compilations. The most successful of the compilation albums was the 1975 Greatest Hits which has sold over 4 million copies in the United States. In May 2003 he received his first Platinum Europe Award from the IFPI for Remember Cat Stevens, The Ultimate Collection, indicating over one million European sales.

Orianthi Panagaris

(born 22 January 1985),

known professionally as Orianthi, is an Australian singer-songwriter and guitarist. She has played with Michael Jackson as part of his ill-fated This Is It concert series, and in Alice Cooper’s touring band.

Her debut single “According to You” peaked at No. 3 in Japan, No. 8 in Australia and No. 17 in the US; her second album, Believe, received a worldwide release in late 2009. In 2009, Orianthi was named one of the 12 Greatest Female Electric Guitarists by Elle magazine. She also won the award as “Breakthrough Guitarist of the Year” 2010 by Guitar International magazine.
Orianthi Panagaris was born in Adelaide, South Australia, and is of Greek and Australian descent. Orianthi first started learning piano and playing at the age of three and moving to acoustic guitar at the age of six. She learned to play the acoustic guitar at six at the encouragement of her father, started electric when she was eleven and left her school, Mercedes College, enrolling at Cabra Dominican College, she also attended St Peter’s Collegiate Girls’ School for a short period. At the age of 15, she turned her focus to writing songs and so began her professional career.[5] She has been playing in bands since the age of 14 and performed in her first stage show for Steve Vai at the age of 15. Orianthi met and jammed with Carlos Santana when she was 18.[6] He invited Orianthi to get up and jam with him at soundcheck then later asked if she would join him on stage that night to jam at his Adelaide concert, Memorial Drive on 30 March 2003.

Orianthi independently released her debut studio album, Violet Journey in 2005, composing all the material, contributing guitar, vocals and drums on most cuts. She produced and mixed the final product at her home studio. Carlos Santana brought Orianthi to Paul Reed Smith’s attention which led to her endorsement. Orianthi relocated to Los Angeles, signed with Geffen Records in late 2006 and struck a management deal with 19 Entertainment.

Orianthi has made a commercial for Panasonic HD, featured in the song “Now or Never” for Bratz: The Movie, played at the Eric Clapton Crossroads Guitar Festival, appeared in The New York Times business section promoting eco-friendly acoustic guitars, and opened for Steve Vai in the US.
Breakthrough

Orianthi appeared at the 51st annual Grammy Awards as Carrie Underwood’s lead guitarist, with Underwood inviting Orianthi to become a member of her band. Following that performance in addition to recommendations from industry professionals Michael Jackson’s management reached out to Orianthi for an audition for This Is It. Orianthi was hence Michael Jackson’s lead guitarist and was present on all rehearsals for his This Is It concerts before his death. In regard to being handpicked by Jackson, she stated:

I don’t know exactly why he picked me, but he watched my YouTube videos and loved them. He had his choice of guitar players, but I came in and played the ‘Beat It’ solo for him. Afterward he was so happy he got up and grabbed my arm and started walking up and down the stage area with me. He said, ‘Can you play once for me?’ and hired me that night. I wish he was still around. He made me believe in myself more, and I learned so much. Going into it, I thought it would be all about playing guitar solos. But the majority of it was playing chords and funky rhythms.

She played and sang at Jackson’s memorial, globally televised live on 7 July 2009. She appears in the film Michael Jackson’s This Is It, which chronicles the rehearsals for the tour and shows her and Michael on stage. She presented an award at the 2009 American Music Awards, which Jackson won posthumously. Orianthi also appears on “We Are the World 25 for Haiti” – with the original co-written and partly performed by Jackson. She plays guitar on the song “Monster” by Michael Jackson featuring 50 Cent which was released on Michael on 14 December 2010.

Solo career/collaborations

Orianthi started working on her major label debut Believe in 2007 which was released in October 2009. The album produced the worldwide hit “According to You”, which was the Single of the Week on iTunes on 27 October 2009, reached number 2 on US radio airplay and charted to number eight in Australia, three in Japan, and achieved platinum status in the US and Australia. The charismatic rock instrumental Highly Strung featuring Steve Vai became a popular YouTube video with millions of views and climbing, and her song Suffocated was featured on Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock as a playable song. Orianthi followed up with a four song EP including two singles “Shut Up and Kiss Me” and “Courage”.
A.R.Rahman with Orianthi during the recording of Sadda Haq

Orianthi appeared on several late night shows most notably on American Idol results show 26 March 2010. In 2010 she toured extensively with headlining shows in the US, Japan, Australia and Malaysia. She also opened for other artists including: John Mayer,Mika, Kid Rock, Daughtry and over 30 dates for Adam Lambert’s Glam Nation Tour with former Idol contestant Allison Iraheta. Orianthi performed at various music festivals and charity functions most notably at the Stand Up to Cancer telethon.

Orianthi has been very prolific in collaborating and being featured by many artists. She is featured on Iraheta’s third single “Don’t Waste The Pretty”[16] and on Fefe Dobson’s song “Can’t Breathe”[17] which appears on Dobson’s album Joy released in November 2010. She has stated that the people she has collaborated with (i.e. Allison Iraheta and Lacey Mosley) are some of her best friends.

She recorded for the song Saadda Haq composed by Academy award winning composer A.R.Rahman for a Bollywood film soundtrack Rockstar. The song became very popular and lot of media coverage in India came for Orianthi, being cited for her time as Michael Jackson’s lead guitarist.

On 12 October 2011, the 5 track EP Fire, produced by Dave Stewart was released as an iTunes download.

Her third studio album, Heaven in This Hell, was released on 12 March 2013.
Touring guitarist
Orianthi performing live with Alice Cooper in London in October 2012

On 29 August 2011, Orianthi was announced as Alice Cooper’s new guitarist. She replaces Damon Johnson, who is now a member of Thin Lizzy. She is the first female member of the Alice Cooper band. Orianthi has done two world tours with Alice Cooper, but resigned in June 2014 to be replaced by Nita Strauss.

Orianthi has appeared as a guitarist for other stars including shows with Michael Bolton, Dave Stewart and James Durbin. She also appeared on the Top 7 week season 12 of American Idol on April 3, 2013 to play guitar for each of the performances. One month later Orianthi performed Fine China with Chris Brown at the 2013 Billboard Music Awards, and on December 8th of that same year she paid tribute to Carlos Santana, performing in the Kennedy Center Honors Gala.

Judas Priest are an English heavy metal band formed in Birmingham, England in 1969. Known for twin lead guitars, a wide operatic vocal style, and for introducing the S&M leather-and-studs look into heavy metal, they have sold over 45 million albums worldwide. The band is widely recognised as one of the finest and most original heavy metal bands of all time, with many artists within the genre having cited them as a major influence. MTV ranked them the second “Greatest Metal Band” of all time.

Despite an innovative and pioneering body of work in the late 1970s, the band struggled with indifferently-produced records, repeated changes at the drummer position, and a lack of major commercial success or attention until 1980 when they adopted a more simplified sound on the album British Steel, which helped shoot them to rock superstar status. In 1989, they were named as defendants in an unsuccessful lawsuit alleging that subliminal messages on their albums had caused the suicide attempts of two young men.

The band’s membership has seen much turnover, including a revolving cast of drummers in the 1970s, and the temporary departure of singer Rob Halford in the early 1990s. The current line-up consists of lead vocalist Rob Halford, guitarists Glenn Tipton and Richie Faulkner, bassist Ian Hill, and drummer Scott Travis. The band’s best-selling album is 1982’s Screaming for Vengeance featuring their most commercially successful line-up, featuring Halford, Tipton, Hill, K. K. Downing (guitar), and Dave Holland (drums).

They were a major influence on multiple sub-genres of heavy metal.[citation needed] Their influence, while mainly Rob Halford’s operatic vocal style (widely considered as one of the most unique vocalists in the genre) and the twin guitar sound of K.K. Downing and Glenn Tipton, has been adopted by many bands. Their image of leather, spikes, and other taboo articles of clothing were widely influential during the glam metal era of the 1980s.[7] Their 1980 album, British Steel, has been referred to as the “record that, more than any other, codified what we mean by “heavy metal”.[8] Despite a decline in exposure during the mid 1990s, the band has once again seen a resurgence, including worldwide tours, being inaugural inductees into the VH1 Rock Honors in 2005, receiving a Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance in 2010, and their songs featured in video games such as Guitar Hero and the Rock Band series.
K. K. Downing, Ian Hill, and John Ellis had known each other since early childhood growing up on the Yew Tree estate in West Bromwich. They attended Churchfields Sch. at All Saints in W. Bromwich. Downing and Hill became close friends in their early teens, when they shared similar musical interests (Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, Jimi Hendrix, The Who, Cream, The Yardbirds) and learned to play instruments. The band was founded in October 1970 in Birmingham, West Midlands, England, after a local ensemble named Judas Priest (from Bob Dylan’s song “The Ballad of Frankie Lee and Judas Priest”[9]) disbanded.

The original Judas Priest had been formed in 1969 by Al Atkins (lead vocals), Bruno Stapenhill (bass, born Brian Stapenhill, in 1948, Stone Cross, W. Bromwich), John Partridge (drums, born c. 1948, W. Bromwich), and John Perry (guitar).[10][11] Stappenhill came up with the name Judas Priest and they rehearsed at his house in Stone Cross. Perry died in a car accident shortly after the band’s formation, and was subsequently replaced by Ernie Chataway (born Ernest Chataway, in 1952, in Winson Green, Birmingham, Warwickshire; died 13 May 2014[12]).

The band played their first gig on 25 November 1969 at The George Hotel in Walsall, Staffordshire and then toured Scotland in December 1969 and January 1970. This band split in April 1970 after their last gig on 20 April at The Youth Centre in Cannock, Staffordshire. Atkins met the next line-up of Judas Priest at a church called St. James in Wednesbury, near W. Bromwich. This place was called Holy Joe’s by the locals and here Atkins met lead guitarist Kenny Downing, bassist Ian ‘Skull’ Hill, and drummer John Ellis (born 19 September 1951, Yew Tree Estate, West Bromwich, Staffordshire). They had a band called Freight (April–October 1970) and were looking for a singer; they agreed to join with Atkins, who suggested using his old band’s name Judas Priest. They rehearsed at Atkins’ mother-in-law’s house in Stone Cross. The new line-up of Atkins, Downing, Hill, and Ellis played their first gig on 16 March 1971 at St John’s Hall, Essington, S. Staffordshire.

With Downing as acting leader, the band moved away from their original blues influences to play hard rock. This quartet played around Birmingham and the surrounding areas with various drummers until 1974, sometimes opening for bands such as Budgie, Thin Lizzy, and Trapeze. Eventually, financial difficulties and problems with their management, Tony Iommi’s company, IMA, led to the departure of Alan Atkins and drummer Alan Moore in May 1973.

At the time, Ian Hill was dating a woman from the nearby town of Walsall who suggested her brother, Rob Halford,[13] be considered as a singer. Halford joined the band, bringing drummer John Hinch from his previous band, Hiroshima. This line-up toured the UK, often supporting Budgie, and even headlining some shows in Norway and Germany.
Rocka Rolla (1974–1975)

Before the band entered the studio to record their first album, their record company suggested they add another musician to the line-up. As Downing was reluctant to incorporate a keyboard or horn player into the band, he chose another lead guitarist, Glenn Tipton in April 1974, from the Stafford-based Flying Hat Band as their new member. The two guitarists worked together to adapt the existing material and Tipton also received credits as a songwriter. In August 1974, the band released their debut single “Rocka Rolla” and followed this a month later with an album of the same name.

Technical problems during the recording contributed to the poor sound quality of the record. Producer Rodger Bain, whose resume included Black Sabbath’s first three albums as well as Budgie’s first album, dominated the production of the album and made decisions with which the band did not agree.[14] Bain also chose to leave fan favourites from the band’s live set, such as “Tyrant”, “Genocide” and “The Ripper”, off the album and he cut the song “Caviar and Meths” from a 10-minute song down to a 2-minute instrumental.

The tour for Rocka Rolla was Judas Priest’s first international tour[15] with dates in Germany, Holland, Norway and Denmark including one show at Hotel Klubben[16] in Tönsberg, one hour from Oslo, Norway which scored them a somewhat negative review in the local press[17] The album flopped upon release, leaving Priest in dire financial straits. Priest attempted to secure a deal with Gull Records to get a monthly pay of 50 pounds, however, because Gull Records were struggling as well, they declined.[18] Rocka Rolla (1974) has been for the most part dismissed by the band and none of its songs were played live after 1976[19] except for Never Satisfied, which was revived during the Epitaph Tour in 2011.[citation needed]
Sad Wings of Destiny (1975–1977)

The band participated more in the production of their next album, recorded during November and December 1975, and chose the producers themselves. The result, Sad Wings of Destiny (1976), included a variety of old material, including the aforementioned stage favourites and immediately shifted the band from a psychedelic sound to straight gritty metal with the opening track, the progressive epic “Victim of Changes”. This song was a combination of “Whiskey Woman”, a stage classic from the Al Atkins’ era of Judas Priest, and “Red Light Lady”, a song that Halford had written with his previous group, Hiroshima. This album and a strong performance at the 1975 Reading Festival helped to raise wider interest in the band and expand their fanbase.[citation needed]
Major label debut (1977–1979)

Their next album, 1977’s Sin After Sin, was the first Priest record under a major label, CBS and the first of the band´s eleven consecutive albums to be certified Gold or higher by the RIAA. With the termination of their contract with their previous label Gull, the band lost the rights to their first two albums. Sin After Sin was produced by ex-Deep Purple bass player Roger Glover. The band chose to use session drummer Simon Phillips for the recordings. He declined to become a permanent member of Judas Priest, so instead Les (James Leslie) Binks played with the band, who were impressed with his performance and asked him to stay. Together they recorded 1978’s Stained Class and Killing Machine (released in America as Hell Bent for Leather). Binks, credited with writing the very powerful “Beyond the Realms of Death”, was an accomplished and technically skilled drummer and his addition added a dexterous edge to the band’s sound. Binks also played on Unleashed in the East (1979), which was recorded live in Japan during the Killing Machine tour. While the first three Judas Priest albums had considerable traces of Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, and Deep Purple in them, as well as ballads, Stained Class did not contain any ballads aside from the very dark “Beyond the Realms of Death.”[citation needed] Killing Machine (released as Hell Bent For Leather in the US) was the first nod to a more commercial sound, with simpler songs that brought back some blues influences. At about the same time, the band members adopted their now-famous “leather-and-studs” image.[7]
Mainstream success (1979–1991)
Judas Priest performing in 1981, during their World Wide Blitz Tour.

Following the release of Killing Machine (1978) was the live release from the supporting tour, entitled Unleashed in the East (1979). It was the first of many Judas Priest albums to go Platinum. At the time, there was some criticism of the band’s use of studio-enhancements and overdubbing in what was marketed as a live album.[20] By this point the playing style of the band had grown progressively heavier, with live versions of songs such as “Exciter” and “Beyond the Realms of Death” sounding much heavier than their studio counterparts.[citation needed]

Les Binks quit in late 1979 as he was unhappy with the band’s desire to move towards a simplified radio rock sound, so they replaced him with Dave Holland, formerly from the band Trapeze. With this line-up, Judas Priest recorded six studio and one live album which garnered different degrees of critical and financial success.

In 1980, the band released British Steel. The songs were shorter and had more mainstream radio hooks, but retained the familiar heavy metal feel. Tracks such as “United”, “Breaking the Law”, and “Living After Midnight” were frequently played on the radio. The next release, 1981’s Point of Entry, followed the same formula, and the tour in support of the album featured new songs such as “Solar Angels” and “Heading Out to the Highway”.

The 1982 album Screaming for Vengeance featured the song “You’ve Got Another Thing Comin'”, which became a major radio hit in the US. Songs such as “Electric Eye” and “Riding on the Wind” also appeared on this album, and proved to be popular live tracks. “(Take These) Chains” (by Bob Halligan, Jr) was released as a single and received heavy airplay. This album went Double Platinum.[21]
Downing and Tipton performing in San Sebastián, Spain, during their World Conqueror Tour of 1984.

Priest continued their success through the mid-1980s. “Freewheel Burning”, released in 1983, was a regular on rock radio. Its album Defenders of the Faith was released the following year. Some critics dubbed it as “Screaming for Vengeance II”, due to its musical similarity to the previous album.[22]

On 13 July 1985, Judas Priest, along with Black Sabbath and other performers, played at Live Aid. The band played at JFK Stadium in Philadelphia. Their setlist was “Living After Midnight”, “The Green Manalishi (With The Two-Pronged Crown)” and “(You’ve Got) Another Thing Comin'”.

Turbo was released in April 1986. The band adopted a more colourful stage look and gave their music a more mainstream feel by adding guitar synthesisers. The album also went Platinum and had a successful tour in support.[quantify] A live album recorded on the tour, titled Priest…Live!, was released the next year, offering fans live tracks from the 1980s era. The video documentary Heavy Metal Parking Lot was created by Jeff Krulik and John Heyn in 1986. It documents the heavy metal fans waiting on 31 May 1986 for a Judas Priest concert (with special guests Dokken) at the Capital Centre (later renamed US Airways Arena) in Landover, Maryland.
Rob Halford in 1988. One of Priest’s trademark stage stunts was to have Halford ride a motorbike on stage.

In May 1988, Ram It Down was released, featuring several reworked songs left over from Turbo, in addition to new songs. A reviewer has called Ram It Down a “stylistic evolution” that resulted from the band’s “…attempt to rid themselves of the tech synthesiser approach…and return to the traditional metal of their fading glory days.” The reviewer argued the album showed “…how far behind they were lagging… the thrashers they helped influence” in earlier years.[23] As well, in the late 1980s, longtime drummer Dave Holland left the band.

In September 1990, the Painkiller album used a new drummer, Scott Travis (formerly from Racer X). This comeback album dropped the 1980s-style synthesisers for all of the songs except “A Touch of Evil”. The tour used bands such as Megadeth, Pantera, Sepultura and Testament as opening bands, and culminated in the Rock in Rio performance in Brazil in front of 100,000+ music fans.

Part of the Judas Priest stage show often featured Rob Halford riding onstage on a Harley-Davidson motorbike, dressed in motorcycle leathers and sunglasses. In a Toronto show in August 1991, Halford was seriously injured as he rode on stage, when he collided with a drum riser that was hidden behind clouds of dry ice mist. Although the show was delayed, he performed the entire set before going to a hospital. Hill later noted “he must have been in agony”. In a 2007 interview Rob later claimed the accident had nothing to do with his departure from the band.[24]
Subliminal message trial

In the summer of 1990, the band was involved in a civil action that alleged they were responsible for the self-inflicted gunshot wounds in 1985 of 20-year-old James Vance and 18-year-old Raymond Belknap in Sparks, Nevada, USA.[25] On 23 December 1985, Vance and Belknap, after hours of drinking beer, smoking marijuana and allegedly listening to Judas Priest, went to a playground at a church in Sparks with a 12-gauge shotgun to end their lives. Belknap was the first to place the shotgun under his chin. He died instantly after pulling the trigger. Vance then shot himself but survived, suffering severe facial injuries. Following numerous complications, Vance too passed away in 1988, three years after the suicide pact.[6]

The men’s parents and their legal team alleged that a subliminal message of “do it” had been included in the Judas Priest song “Better By You, Better Than Me” (a cover of the Spooky Tooth number) from the Stained Class (1978) album. They alleged the command in the song triggered the suicide attempt.[25] The trial lasted from 16 July to 24 August 1990, when the suit was dismissed after the judge ruled that the so-called “do it” message was a result of an accidental mix up of background lyrics.[25] One of the defence witnesses, Dr. Timothy E. Moore, wrote an article for Skeptical Inquirer chronicling the trial.[25] The trial was covered in the 1991 documentary Dream Deceivers: The Story Behind James Vance Vs. Judas Priest.
Halford leaves (1991–1992)

After the end of the Painkiller tour in 1991, Halford left Judas Priest. In September 1991, there were indications of internal tensions within the band. Halford went on to form a street-style thrash metal group named Fight with Scott Travis on drums for the recording sessions. He formed this band due to his desire to explore new musical territory, but due to contractual obligations, he remained with Judas Priest until May 1992.[26]

Halford collaborated with Judas Priest in the release of a compilation album entitled Metal Works ’73-’93 to commemorate their 20th anniversary. He also appeared in a video by the same title, documenting their history, in which his departure from the band was officially announced later that year.

In a 1998 interview on MTV, Halford publicly came out as gay.[27]
Ripper Owens (1996–2003)

Tim “Ripper” Owens, who had previously sung in a Judas Priest tribute band called British Steel, was hired in 1996 as Judas Priest’s new singer. This line-up released two albums, Jugulator (1997) and Demolition (2001), as well as two live double-albums – ’98 Live Meltdown and Live in London (2003), the latter of which had a live DVD counterpart. Although Jugulator sold relatively well, it was given mixed reviews, though it contains the epic “Cathedral Spires”, which became one of Ripper’s more popular songs. Demolition was released in 2001.
Reunion (2003–2006)
The reunited Judas Priest performing in 2005

After eleven years apart, faced with an ever-growing demand for a reunion, Judas Priest and Rob Halford announced they would reunite in July 2003, to coincide with the release of the Metalogy box set (despite Halford’s earlier insistence that he “would never do it”[28]). They did a concert tour in Europe in 2004, and co-headlined the 2004 Ozzfest, being named as the “premier act” by almost all US media coverage of the event. Judas Priest and “Ripper” Owens parted amicably, with Owens joining American heavy metal band Iced Earth.

A new studio album, Angel of Retribution, was released on 1 March 2005 (US) on Sony Music/Epic Records to critical and commercial success. A global tour in support of the album ensued. As for the band Halford, writing for the fourth release was cut off. However, after the Retribution tour in June 2006, Halford announced he would create his own record company, Metal God Entertainment, where he would release all his solo material under his own control. In November 2006 he remastered his back catalogue and released it exclusively through Apple’s iTunes Store. Two new songs allegedly set for the fourth release, “Forgotten Generation” and “Drop Out”, were released through iTunes as well.
VH1 Rock Honors
Judas Priest in typical heavy metal attire performing at the VH1 Rock Honors in Las Vegas on 25 May 2006.

Along with Queen, Kiss and Def Leppard, Judas Priest were the inaugural inductees into the “VH1 Rock Honors”.[29] The ceremony took place 25 May 2006 in Las Vegas, Nevada, and first aired on 31 May 2006.[29] Their presentation was preceded by the band Godsmack performing a medley of “Electric Eye”/”Victim of Changes”/”Hell Bent for Leather”, and Judas Priest themselves played “Breaking the Law”, “The Green Manalishi (With The Two-Pronged Crown)” and “You’ve Got Another Thing Comin'”, before which Halford rode a Harley onstage.
Nostradamus (2006–2010)

In a June 2006 interview with MTV.com, frontman Rob Halford said in regards to the group’s concept album about the 16th-century French writer Nostradamus, “Nostradamus is all about metal, isn’t he? He was an alchemist as well as a seer – a person of extraordinary talent. He had an amazing life that was full of trial and tribulation and joy and sorrow. He’s a very human character and a world-famous individual. You can take his name and translate it into any language and everybody knows about him, and that’s important because we’re dealing with a worldwide audience.”[30] In addition to digging new lyrical ground for the band, the album would contain musical elements which might surprise their fans. “It’s going to have a lot of depth”, Halford said. “There’ll be a lot of symphonic elements. We might orchestrate it, without it being overblown. There may be a massive choir at parts and keyboards will be featured more prominently, whereas they’ve always been in the background before.”[30] The album Nostradamus was released in June 2008; the band began a support tour in that same month.[31]

In early February 2009, the band joined the ranks of bands speaking out against ticket-touting (“scalping”), issuing a statement condemning the practice of selling tickets at well above face value and urging their fans to buy tickets only from official sources.[32] In the same month, Judas Priest continued their tour, bringing their “Priest Feast” (with support from guests Megadeth and Testament) to multiple arenas in England, Wales, Scotland, and Ireland in February and March 2009. From there the tour progressed to multiple venues in Sweden. Later in March 2009, Judas Priest performed in Portugal (at Lisbon on the Atlantic Pavilion), which they had not visited since 2005. The tour then continued on to Milan, Italy, and then to Paris, France; Halford had last performed with Judas Priest in Paris in 1991.
Judas Priest headlined the Sweden Rock Festival in June 2008.

From June through August 2009, Judas Priest completed a North American tour to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the release of the album British Steel (1980); the album was performed in its entirety on each tour date, with some other Judas Priest songs thrown into the setlist. This tour was to be a joint effort with fellow Englishman David Coverdale and Whitesnake. Unfortunately, Whitesnake would have to leave the tour after the show in Denver, Colorado on 11 August 2009 due to singer David Coverdale falling ill with a serious throat infection; he was advised to stop singing immediately to avoid permanently damaging his vocal cords.[33][34]

On 14 July 2009, Judas Priest released a new live album, featuring 11 previously unreleased live tracks from the 2005 and 2008 world tours, A Touch of Evil: Live. The performance of “Dissident Aggressor” won the 2010 Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance.[35]

In May 2010, Halford said that the band had been offered a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, but “we’ve just never been there when they wanted to do the ceremony.” He also revealed that a Nostradamus tour is still being contemplated: “We were in Hollywood recently and met with some producers and agents, so there are a lot of things going on behind the scenes.”[36] The Judas Priest song “Electric Eye” was used in the temp score for Toy Story 3[37] but was ultimately replaced by another piece of music.
Downing’s retirement and Epitaph World Tour (2010–2011)

Judas Priest announced on 7 December 2010, that their Epitaph World Tour would be the band’s farewell tour and would run up until 2012.[38] In a January 2011 interview, Rob Halford said about the band’s impending retirement that:

“I think it’s time, you know. We’re not the first band to say farewell, it’s just the way everyone comes to at some point and we’re gonna say a few more things early next year, so I think the main thing that we just want to ask everybody to consider is don’t be sad about this, start celebrating and rejoicing over all the great things we’ve done in Judas Priest.”[39]

Judas Priest on stage in 2011

On 27 January 2011, it was announced that Judas Priest was in the process of writing new material; the band also clarified their plans for the future, saying that “…this is by no means the end of the band. In fact, we are presently writing new material, but we do intend this to be the last major world tour.”[40] Speaking at a press conference in Los Angeles on May, 26, of the new material Glenn Tipton said: “It’s quite a mixed bag. Really, there’s more sentiment on this album. In a way, I suppose, it’s also our farewell album, although it might not be our last one. There are some anthems on there, which pay tribute to our fans”.[41]

On 20 April 2011, it was announced that K. K. Downing had retired from the band and would not complete the Epitaph World Tour. Downing cited differences with the band and management and a breakdown in their relationship. Richie Faulkner, guitarist for Lauren Harris’s band, was announced as his replacement for the Epitaph World Tour.[42] Downing’s retirement leaves bassist Ian Hill as the only remaining founder member of the band.

On 25 May 2011, Judas Priest played during the finale of American Idol season 10 with James Durbin, making it their first live performance without K.K. Downing.[43] The band played a mixture of two songs: “Living After Midnight” and “Breaking the Law”.[43]

On 7 June 2011, the band announced that it planned to release the box set Single Cuts, a collection of singles, later that summer.[44]
Redeemer of Souls and future touring plans (2011-present)
Judas Priest in Redeemer of Souls concert on 9th Oct 2014 at Barclay Center, Brooklyn , New York

In an August 2011 interview with Billboard, Halford explained that he and Tipton “have about 12 or 14 tracks completely mapped out” for a new studio album. He went on to say that four of those were already recorded and mixed, and suggested a new album should be out in 2012.[45] However, the year ended without seeing a release. In another interview with Billboard in August 2012, Halford said that the band is taking its time with the album, and did not give a definite release date, saying “I’m of the attitude it’ll be ready when it’s ready […] I don’t think we’re going to slack off. We’re determined to do a lot of work and be just as dedicated as we’ve always been and take a lot of care and attention with all the songs. We’re not going to just bang this one out, so to speak.”[46]

On 13 September 2011, Priest announced its plans to release a new compilation album, The Chosen Few, a set of Priest songs chosen by other iconic heavy metal musicians.[47] On 5 June 2013, Rob Halford confirmed that the Epitaph World Tour would not be the band’s final tour.[48] On 22 December 2013, Judas Priest released a short Christmas message on their official website, which confirmed that they would be releasing the new album sometime in 2014.[49]

On 5 January 2014, the band appeared in the episode “Steal This Episode” of comedy cartoon show The Simpsons playing the song “Breaking the Law”. Their music was referred to as “death metal”,[50] for which the producers subsequently apologised by having Bart Simpson write “Judas Priest is not ‘Death Metal'” in the opening sequence chalkboard gag.[51]

On 17 March 2014 at the Ronnie James Dio Awards in Los Angeles, California, Rob Halford announced that the new album is finished:

“The Priest album is finished. It’s done. I just heard from the mastering sessions that [guitarist] Glenn [Tipton is] looking over in England, it’s finished. It’s done. It’s coming out at some point. We’ve got some more information we’re about to drop but in the process of the magic of building up expectation and tension to the climax.”[52]

On 28 April 2014, the band released a brand new track for streaming on their official website entitled “Redeemer of Souls”, which is the title track for their upcoming album of the same name.[53]

In an interview given by Eddie Trunk on 5 May 2014, Glenn Tipton says that the band is looking to go back on the road:

“It’s all a little bit ‘play it by ear.’ We’re looking at starting some dates in the fall — exactly how many and what size, what capacity, we’re not sure. But one thing that we have discussed is PRIEST have got such a wealth now of songs behind us, we probably won’t go over the top on production like we’ve done before; the strength will be in the music. That’s our feeling at the moment with this next tour.”[54]

On 20 May 2014, the band confirmed on their official website that they will be playing selected dates in support of their new album Redeemer of Souls.[55]. At the end of June, a 20 date US tour was confirmed for October and November 2014[56]

Redeemer of Souls, sold around 32,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 6 on The Billboard 200 chart, the band’s highest charting position in the US after the double-disc concept album, “Nostradamus”, debuted at No. 11. This was the band’s first top 10 album in the US.[57]
Musical style and influence
Musical style

Judas Priest’s style has always been rooted in heavy metal, and many of their albums reflect diverse aspects of the genre. For example their first album, Rocka Rolla (1974), is primarily rooted in heavy blues rock. From their album Sad Wings of Destiny (1976) through Stained Class (1978), their style was somewhat progressive, with complex guitar passages, and poetic lyrics. Songs would often shift in dynamics and tempo, and the music was some of the heaviest of its day. This would later have a major influence on progressive metal bands. Judas Priest’s 1977 Sin After Sin introduced the combination of the double bass drum and rapid 16th bass rhythms combined with rapid 16th guitar rhythms that came to define the genre.[58] While the double-bass rhythms from Judas Priest are generally measured and technical, the song “Dissident Aggressor” (1977) pushed this to be an example of the style with an increase in “tempo and aggression” which was later adopted by other bands like Motörhead with a much harder-edged approach.[58] Starting with their fifth album, Killing Machine (1978) (titled Hell Bent for Leather on its release in the US) the band began to incorporate a more commercial, radio-friendly style to their music. The lyrics and music were simplified, and this style prevailed up to their seventh album, Point of Entry (1981). With their eighth album, Screaming for Vengeance (1982), the band incorporated a balance of these two styles. This continued on their next album, Defenders of the Faith (1984). With the follow-up album, Turbo (1986), the band incorporated guitar synthesizers into its signature heavy metal sound. On 1988’s Ram It Down the band retained some of the more commercial qualities of Turbo but also returned to some of the fast tempo heavy metal found on their earlier works. This fast-tempo style continued with 1990’s Painkiller. Jugulator (1997) tried to incorporate some of the 1990s contemporary groove metal styles. For Demolition (2001), the album has a more traditional heavy metal sound. Following the return of Rob Halford for Angel of Retribution and Nostradamus, the band returned to the style that it had on its early albums.[1]
Media recognition

Judas Priest have influenced a great deal of metal music since the late-mid 70s. They were ranked by MTV as the second “Greatest Metal Band” of all time (after Black Sabbath), and VH1 named them the 78th greatest artist of all time in 2010.[5]
Fashion

In addition to the sound, Judas Priest are also known for being revolutionaries in heavy metal fashion.[7] Rob Halford thus began incorporating a macho image of what today is known as hardcore metal/biker/S&M style into his look as early as 1978 (to coincide with the release of their album Killing Machine), and the rest of the band followed. It became a mainstay in heavy metal; soon, several other bands, particularly of the NWOBHM and early black metal movements, began incorporating Halford’s fashion into their look as well.[59] This sparked a revival in metal in the early ’80s, and catapulted them to fame, in both the mainstream and underground. Even in the present, it is not uncommon to find metal artists sporting such a look at concerts.

Their popularity and status as one of the exemplary and influential heavy metal bands has earned them the nickname “Metal Gods” from their song of the same name.[60]
Personnel
Main article: List of Judas Priest band members

Tracy Chapman (born March 30, 1964) is known for her hits “Fast Car” and “Give Me One Reason”, along with other singles “Talkin’ ’bout a Revolution”, “Baby Can I Hold You”, “Crossroads”, “New Beginning” and “Telling Stories”. She is a multi-platinum and four-time Grammy Award-winning artist.

Elektra released her critically acclaimed, multi-million selling debut album in 1988. The album garnered Chapman six Grammy nominations, including Album of the Year, three of which she won, including Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for her single “Fast Car”. Since then, Chapman has furthered her success with seven more studio albums, which includes her also multi-million selling fourth album New Beginning, which garnered her a fourth Grammy award, for Best Rock Song, for “Give Me One Reason”. Chapman’s latest release is 2008’s Our Bright Future.
Chapman was born in Cleveland, Ohio. She was raised by her mother, who recognized Tracy’s love of music and, despite not having much money, bought her a ukulele when she was just three. Chapman began playing guitar and writing songs at the age of eight. She says that she may have been first inspired to play the guitar by the television show Hee Haw.

Raised Baptist, Chapman attended an Episcopal high school.She was accepted into the program “A Better Chance”, which helps minority students attend private schools. She graduated from Wooster School in Connecticut, then attended Tufts University. She graduated with a B.A. degree in anthropology and African studies.
Career

During college, Chapman began busking in Harvard Square and playing guitar in Club Passim, the Nameless Coffeehouse, and other coffeehouses in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Another Tufts student, Brian Koppelman, heard Chapman playing and brought her to the attention of his father, Charles Koppelman. Koppelman, who ran SBK Publishing, signed Chapman in 1986. After Chapman graduated from Tufts in 1987, he helped her to sign a contract with Elektra Records.
Chapman playing in Budapest, Hungary,in 1988.

At Elektra, she released Tracy Chapman (1988). The album was critically acclaimed, and she began touring and building a fanbase. “Fast Car” began its rise on the US charts soon after she performed it at the televised Nelson Mandela 70th Birthday Tribute concert in June 1988; it became a number 6 pop hit on the Billboard Hot 100 for the week ending August 27, 1988. Rolling Stone ranked the song number 167 on their 2010 list of “The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time”. It is the highest-ranking song both written and performed by a female performer. “Talkin’ ’bout a Revolution”, the follow-up, charted at number 75 and was followed by “Baby Can I Hold You”, which peaked at number 48. The album sold well, going multi-platinum and winning three Grammy Awards, including an honor for Chapman as Best New Artist. Later in 1988, Chapman was a featured performer on the worldwide Amnesty International Human Rights Now! Tour. According to the VH1 website, “Her album helped usher in the era of political correctness—along with 10,000 Maniacs and R.E.M., Chapman’s liberal politics proved enormously influential on American college campuses in the late ’80s.”
Her follow-up album Crossroads (1989) was less commercially successful, but still achieved platinum status. By 1992’s Matters of the Heart, Chapman was playing to a small and devoted audience. Her fourth album New Beginning (1995) proved successful, selling over three million copies in the U.S. The album included the hit single “Give Me One Reason”, which won the 1997 Grammy for Best Rock Song and became Chapman’s most successful single to date, peaking at Number 3 on the Billboard Hot 100. Following a four-year hiatus, her fifth album, Telling Stories, was released in 2000. Its hit single, “Telling Stories”, received heavy airplay on European radio stations and on Adult Alternative and Hot AC stations in the United States. Chapman toured Europe and the US in 2003 in support of her sixth album, Let It Rain (2002).

To support her seventh studio album, Where You Live (2005), Chapman toured major US cities in October and throughout Europe over the remainder of the year. The “Where You Live” tour was extended into 2006; the 28-date European tour featured summer concerts in Germany, Italy, France, Sweden, Finland, Norway, the UK, Russia and more. On June 5, 2006, she performed at the 5th Gala of Jazz in Lincoln Center, New York, and in a session at the 2007 TED (Technology Entertainment Design) conference in Monterey, California.

Chapman was commissioned by the American Conservatory Theater to compose music for its production of Athol Fugard’s Blood Knot, a play on apartheid in South Africa, staged in early 2008.[8]

Atlantic Records released Chapman’s eighth studio album, Our Bright Future (2008).[9] Chapman made a 26-date solo tour of Europe. She returned to tour Europe and selected North American cities during the summer of 2009. She was backed by Joe Gore on guitars, Patrick Warren on keyboards, and Dawn Richardson on percussion.[10]

Chapman was appointed a member of the 2014 Sundance Film Festival U.S. Documentary jury.[11]
Social activism

Chapman is widely regarded as a politically and socially active musician. In a 2009 interview with American radio network NPR, she is quoted as saying: “I’m approached by lots of organizations and lots of people who want me to support their various charitable efforts in some way. And I look at those requests and I basically try to do what I can. And I have certain interests of my own, generally an interest in human rights.”[3] This interest in human rights can be seen lyrically in her music. Songs such as 1988’s “Talkin’ ‘Bout a Revolution” highlight the importance of speaking up against injustice:

Don’t you know, talking ’bout a revolution sounds like a whisper / when they’re standing in the welfare lines.

Chapman’s song “Fast Car” also brings awareness to the struggles of poverty, with lyrics such as:

I know things will get better / you’ll find work and I’ll get promoted / we’ll move out of the shelter / buy a bigger house and live in the suburbs

Chapman’s activism extends further than her lyrics. She has performed at numerous socially aware events, and continues to do so. In 1988, she performed in London as part of a worldwide concert tour to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights with Amnesty International.[12] The same year Chapman also performed in the Nelson Mandela 70th Birthday Tribute, an event which raised money for South Africa’s Anti-Apartheid Movement and seven children’s charities.[13] More recently, in 2004 Chapman performed (and rode) in the AIDSLifeCycle event.[14]

Chapman has also been involved with Cleveland’s elementary schools. A music video produced by Chapman that highlights significant achievements in African-American history has become an important teaching tool in Cleveland Public Schools. Chapman also agreed to sponsor a “Crossroads in Black History” essay contest for high school students in Cleveland and other cities.[15]

In 2004, Chapman was given an honorary doctorate in Fine Arts by her alma mater, Tufts University, recognizing her commitment to social activism.[16]

I’m fortunate that I’ve been able to do my work and be involved in certain organizations, certain endeavors, and offered some assistance in some way. Whether that is about raising money or helping to raise awareness, just being another body to show some force and conviction for a particular idea. Finding out where the need is – and if someone thinks you’re going to be helpful, then helping.
—Tracy Chapman[17]

Chapman often performs at and attends charity events such as Make Poverty History, amfAR and AIDS/LifeCycle, to support social causes. She identifies as a feminist.[18]
Personal life

Although Chapman has never disclosed her sexual orientation, in the mid-1990s she dated writer Alice Walker.[19] Chapman maintains a strong separation between her personal and professional lives. “I have a public life that’s my work life and I have my personal life,” she said. “In some ways, the decision to keep the two things separate relates to the work I do.

AC/DC are an Australian hard rock band, formed in November 1973 by brothers Malcolm and Angus Young, who remained constant members until Malcolm’s departure in 2014. Commonly referred to as a hard rock or blues rock band, they are also considered pioneers of heavy metal and are sometimes classified as such, though they have always dubbed their music as simply “rock and roll“. To date they are one of the highest-grossing bands of all time.

AC/DC underwent several line-up changes before releasing their first album, High Voltage, on 17 February 1975 with guitarist Angus Young being the only original member left in the band. Membership subsequently stabilised until bassist Mark Evans was replaced by Cliff Williams in 1977 for the album Powerage. Within months of recording the album Highway to Hell, lead singer and co-songwriter Bon Scott died on 19 February 1980 after a night of heavy alcohol consumption. The group considered disbanding, but buoyed by support from Scott’s parents, decided to continue and set about finding a new vocalist. Ex-Geordie singer Brian Johnson was auditioned and selected to replace Scott. Later that year, the band released the new album, Back in Black, which was made as a tribute to Bon Scott. The album launched them to new heights of success and became their all time best-seller, selling over 10,000 copies a day in its first week.

The band’s next album, For Those About to Rock We Salute You, was their first album to reach number one in the United States. AC/DC declined in popularity soon after drummer Phil Rudd was fired in 1983 and was replaced by future Dio drummer Simon Wright. The band experienced a resurgence in the early 1990s with the release of The Razors Edge. Phil Rudd returned in 1994 after Chris Slade, who was with the band from 1989 to 1994, was asked to leave in favour of him, and contributed to the band’s 1995 album Ballbreaker. Since then, the band’s line-up has remained the same. Stiff Upper Lip was released in 2000 and was well received by critics, and the band’s latest studio album, Black Ice, was released on 20 October 2008 and was the second-highest-selling album of that year. It was their biggest hit on the charts since For Those About to Rock, eventually reaching No.1 on all charts worldwide.[6]

AC/DC had sold more than 200 million records worldwide, including 71.5 million albums in the United States alone, making them the tenth-best-selling band in the United States and one of the world’s best-selling bands of all time.[7][8][9] Back in Black has sold an estimated 50 million units worldwide, making it the fifth-highest-selling album by any artist – and the third-highest-selling album by any band. The album has sold 22 million units in the US alone, where it is the sixth-highest-selling album of all time.[10] AC/DC ranked fourth on VH1’s list of the “100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock”[11][12] and were named the seventh “Greatest Heavy Metal Band of All Time” by MTV.[13] In 2004, AC/DC ranked No. 72 on the Rolling Stone list of the “100 Greatest Artists of All Time”.[14] Producer Rick Rubin, who wrote an essay on the band for the Rolling Stone list, referred to AC/DC as “the greatest rock and roll band of all time.”[14] In 2010, AC/DC were ranked number 23 in the VH1 list of the “100 Greatest Artists of All Time”.[15]
Brothers Malcolm, Angus, and George Young were born in Glasgow, Scotland, and moved to Sydney with most of their family in 1963. George was the first to learn to play the guitar. He became a member of the Easybeats, one of Australia’s most successful bands of the 1960s. In 1966, they became the first local rock act to have an international hit, with the song “Friday on My Mind”.[16] Malcolm followed in George’s footsteps by playing with a Newcastle, New South Wales band called the Velvet Underground (not to be confused with the New York-based Velvet Underground).[17] Their oldest brother Alex Young chose to remain in Britain to pursue musical interests. In 1967, Alexander formed and played bass in the London-based band Grapefruit—initially called “The Grapefruit”—with three former members of Tony Rivers and the Castaways, John Perry, Geoff Swettenham, and Pete Swettenham.
The band’s logo was designed in 1977 by Gerard Huerta, commissioned by Bob Defrin, the art director at Atlantic Records during the 1970s. It first appeared on the international version of Let There Be Rock.

Malcolm and Angus Young developed the idea for the band’s name after their sister, Margaret Young, saw the initials “AC/DC” on a sewing machine. “AC/DC” is an abbreviation meaning “alternating current/direct current” electricity. The brothers felt that this name symbolised the band’s raw energy, power-driven performances of their music.[18][19] “AC/DC” is pronounced one letter at a time, though the band are colloquially known as “Acca Dacca” in Australia.[20][21] The AC/DC band name is stylised with a lightning bolt separating the ‘AC’ and ‘DC’ and has been used on all studio albums with the exception of Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap.[22]
Early years

In November 1973 Malcolm and Angus Young formed AC/DC and recruited bassist Larry Van Kriedt, vocalist Dave Evans, and Colin Burgess, ex-Masters Apprentices drummer.[23] Pushing hard for the band’s success were Australia’s legendary roadie Ray Arnold and his partner Alan Kissack. Gene Pierson booked the band to let the band play at Bondi Lifesaver on New Year’s Eve, 1973.[24]

By this time, Angus Young had adopted his characteristic school-uniform stage outfit. The idea was his sister Margaret’s. Angus had tried other costumes: Spider-Man, Zorro, a gorilla, and a parody of Superman, named Super-Ang.[17] In its early days, most members of the band dressed in some form of glam or satin outfit but this approach was abandoned seeing as Melbourne band Skyhooks had already adopted this approach to their stage presentation.

The Young brothers decided that Evans was not a suitable frontman for the group because they felt he was more of a glam rocker like Gary Glitter.[25] On stage, Evans was occasionally replaced by the band’s first manager, Dennis Laughlin, who was the original lead singer with Sherbet prior to Daryl Braithwaite. Evans did not get along with Laughlin, which also contributed to the band’s ill feeling toward Evans.[25]
The Bon Scott era (1974–80)
The journey begins (1974–77)

In September 1974 Ronald Belford “Bon” Scott, an experienced vocalist and friend of George Young, replaced Dave Evans[26] after friend Vince Lovegrove recommended him to George Young.[5] Like the Young brothers, Scott had been born in Scotland before emigrating to Australia in his childhood. The band had recorded only one single with Evans, “Can I Sit Next To You, Girl” / “Rockin’ in the Parlour”; eventually, the song was re-written and re-recorded with Bon Scott as “Can I Sit Next to You Girl” [Track 7 on the Australian album T.N.T. (1975), and Track 6 on the international release of High Voltage (1976)].

“It’s a Long Way to the Top” (1975)
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The second single of High Voltage demonstrates a combination of bagpipes with more traditional rock instruments while the lyrics discuss the perils of being in a rock band.
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By October 1974, the Australia-only album High Voltage had been recorded. It took only ten days[27] and was based on instrumental songs written by the Young brothers, with lyrics added by Scott. Within a few months, the band’s line-up had stabilised, featuring Scott, the Young brothers, bassist Mark Evans and drummer Phil Rudd. Later that year they released the single “It’s a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock ‘n’ Roll)”, which became their perennial rock anthem.[28] It was included on their second album, T.N.T. (1975), which was also released only in Australia and New Zealand. T.N.T. featured the song “High Voltage”, which was the first song written and recorded for the album. Because “High Voltage” was released as a single before T.N.T. was released, some people thought it was the title track to AC/DC’s debut album.

Between 1974 and 1977, aided by regular appearances on Molly Meldrum’s Countdown, the ABC’s nationally broadcast pop-music television show, AC/DC became one of the most popular and successful acts in Australia. Their performance on 3 April 1977 was their last live TV appearance for more than 20 years.[27]
International success (1976–80)
Former vocalist Bon Scott (centre) pictured with guitarist Angus Young (left) and bassist Cliff Williams (back), performing at the Ulster Hall in August 1979

In 1976, the band signed an international deal with Atlantic Records and toured extensively throughout Europe, including their first UK tour sponsored by Sounds magazine, called the ‘Lock Up Your Daughters Summer Tour’. They gained invaluable experience of the stadium circuit, supporting leading rock acts such as Black Sabbath, Aerosmith, Kiss, Styx, UFO, and Blue Öyster Cult, and co-headlined with Cheap Trick.[27]

The first AC/DC album to gain worldwide distribution was a 1976 compilation of tracks taken from the High Voltage and T.N.T. LPs. Also titled High Voltage, and released on the Atlantic Records label, the album, which has to date sold three million copies worldwide,[29] gained the band a following among the then-substantial British punk audience.[30] The track selection was heavily weighted toward the more recent T.N.T., and included only two songs from their first LP. The band’s next album, Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap, was released in the same year in both Australian and international versions, like its predecessor. Track listings varied worldwide, and the international version of the album also featured the T.N.T. track “Rocker”, which had previously never been released internationally. The original Australian version included “Jailbreak” (now more readily available on the 1984 compilation EP ’74 Jailbreak or as a live version on the 1992 Live album). Dirty Deeds was not released in the US until 1981, by which time the band were at the peak of their popularity.

Following the 1977 recording Let There Be Rock, bassist Mark Evans was sacked; purportedly to find someone who could sing backup vocals.[5] Evans described disagreement with Angus and Malcolm as a contributing factor.[5] He was replaced by Cliff Williams.[5] Neither of the Young brothers has elaborated on the departure of Evans, though Richard Griffiths, the CEO of Epic Records and a booking agent for AC/DC in the mid-1970s, later commented, “You knew Mark wasn’t going to last, he was just too much of a nice guy.”[17] Mark Evans’ autobiography, DIRTY DEEDS: My Life Inside/Outside of AC/DC, released in 2011, predominantly dealt with his time in AC/DC, including being fired.[31]
Bronze statue of Bon Scott, unveiled in Fremantle, Western Australia, in October 2008

AC/DC were a somewhat formative influence on New Wave of British Heavy Metal bands who emerged in the late 1970s, such as Saxon and Iron Maiden, in part as a reaction to the decline of traditional early 1970s hard rock bands. In 2007, critics noted that AC/DC, along with Thin Lizzy, UFO, Scorpions and Judas Priest, were among “the second generation of rising stars ready to step into the breach as the old guard waned.”[32]

AC/DC’s first American exposure was through the Michigan radio station AM 600 WTAC in 1977. The station’s manager, Peter C. Cavanaugh, booked the band to play at Flint’s Capitol Theater. The supporting act was MC5, who had just briefly reunited and agreed to play at the event. The band opened with their popular song “Live Wire” and closed with “It’s a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock ‘n’ Roll)”.[33]

AC/DC came to be identified with the punk rock movement by the British press. Their reputation, however, managed to survive the punk upheavals of the late 1970s, and they maintained a cult following in the UK throughout this time.[4] Angus Young gained notoriety for mooning the audience during live performances.

The 1978 release of Powerage marked the debut of bassist Cliff Williams, and with its harder riffs, followed the blueprint set by Let There Be Rock.[34] Only one single was released from Powerage, “Rock ‘n’ Roll Damnation/Sin City”. Eddie Van Halen notes this to be his favourite AC/DC record, along with Highway to Hell.[35] An appearance at the Apollo Theatre, Glasgow during the Powerage tour was recorded and released as If You Want Blood You’ve Got It, featuring such songs as “Whole Lotta Rosie”, “Problem Child”, and “Let There Be Rock”, as well as lesser-known album tracks like “Riff Raff”. Powerage was the last album produced by Harry Vanda and George Young that had lead vocals by Bon Scott, and is claimed to be AC/DC’s most under-rated album.[36]

The major breakthrough in the band’s career came in their collaboration with producer “Mutt” Lange on the album Highway to Hell, released in 1979. It became the first AC/DC LP to break into the US top 100, eventually reaching No. 17,[27] and it propelled AC/DC into the top ranks of hard rock acts.[4] Highway to Hell had lyrics that shifted away from flippant and comical toward more central rock themes, putting increased emphasis on backing vocals but still featured AC/DC’s signature sound: loud, simple, pounding riffs and grooving backbeats.[37] The final track, “Night Prowler”, has two breaths in quick succession at the start of the song, intended to create a tone of fear and loathing.[4]
Scott’s death (1980)

As 1980 began, the band began work on a new album that would eventually become Back in Black, but Bon Scott would not live to see it finished. On 19 February 1980, Scott passed out in the car on the way back to friend Alistair Kinnear’s house after a night of heavy drinking at the Music Machine club in London. Upon arrival at his home, Kinnear was unable to move Scott from the car into his home for the night, so he left him in the car overnight to sleep off the effects of the alcohol. Unable to wake Scott late the next morning, Kinnear rushed him to King’s College Hospital in Camberwell, where Scott was pronounced dead on arrival. Pulmonary aspiration of vomit was the cause of Scott’s death,[38] and the official cause was listed as “acute alcohol poisoning”.[39] Scott’s family buried him in Fremantle, Western Australia, the area they emigrated to when he was a boy.[40]

Inconsistencies in the official accounts of Scott’s death have been cited in conspiracy theories, which suggest that Scott died of a heroin overdose, or was killed by exhaust fumes redirected into the car, or that Kinnear did not exist.[39] Additionally, Scott was asthmatic,[41] and the temperature was below freezing on the morning of his death.
The Brian Johnson era (1980–present)
The rebirth (1980–83)
Brian Johnson Live with AC/DC in 2008

Following Scott’s death the band briefly considered quitting, but encouraged by the insistence from Scott’s parents that he would have wanted them to go on, they eventually decided to continue and went about finding a new frontman.[5] Various candidates were considered for his replacement, including: Buzz Shearman, ex-Moxy member, who was not able to join because of voice problems,[42] ex-Back Street Crawler vocalist Terry Slesser and then Slade vocalist, Noddy Holder.[43] The remaining AC/DC members finally decided on ex-Geordie singer Brian Johnson.
Cliff Williams in 1981 during the For Those About to Rock Tour

Angus Young later recalled, “I remember the first time I had ever heard Brian’s (Johnson) name was from Bon. Bon had mentioned that he had been in England once touring with a band and he had mentioned that Brian had been in a band called Geordie and Bon had said ‘Brian Johnson, he was a great rock and roll singer in the style of Little Richard.’ And that was Bon’s big idol, Little Richard. I think when he saw Brian at that time, to Bon it was ‘Well he’s a guy that knows what rock and roll is all about.’ He mentioned that to us in Australia. I suppose when we decided to continue, Brian was the first name that Malcolm and myself came up with, so we said we should see if we can find him.”[44] For the audition, Johnson sang “Whole Lotta Rosie” from Let There Be Rock and Ike & Tina Turner’s “Nutbush City Limits”.[19] He was hired a few days after the audition.

With Brian Johnson the band completed the songwriting that they had begun with Bon for the album Back in Black. Recording took place at Compass Point Studios in The Bahamas a few months after Scott’s death. Back in Black, produced by Mutt Lange and recorded by Tony Platt, became their biggest-selling album and a hard-rock landmark; hits include “Hells Bells”, “You Shook Me All Night Long”, “Rock and Roll Ain’t Noise Pollution” and the title track. The album reached No.1 in the UK and No.4 in the US, where it spent 131 weeks on the Billboard 200 album chart.[27]

The follow-up album, 1981’s For Those About to Rock We Salute You, also sold well and was positively received by critics. The album featured two of the band’s most popular singles: “Let’s Get It Up”[45] and the title track, “For Those About to Rock (We Salute You)”, which reached No.13 and No.15 in the UK, respectively. The band split with Lange for their self-produced 1983 album, Flick of the Switch, in an effort to recover the rawness and simplicity of their early albums.[46]
Departure of Rudd and commercial decline (1983–87)

“Back in Black” (1980)
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“Back in Black”‘s riff is one of the most recognised in hard rock history.[47] The song ranked No.187 on Rolling Stone ‘s list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time and reached No.37 in the US.
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After having problems with drugs and alcohol,[48] drummer Phil Rudd’s friendship with Malcolm Young deteriorated and eventually escalated to a physical confrontation after which Rudd was fired.[19] Session drummer B.J. Wilson was drafted in to help complete the recordings, but his drum parts were eventually not used, as Rudd had already completed his drum parts.[49] Rudd was replaced by Simon Wright in the summer of 1983 after the band held over 700 auditions in the US and UK.[50] Simon Kirke of Free and Bad Company fame, and Paul Thompson of Roxy Music were two of the drummers auditioned.[51]

Later in the year, AC/DC released the self-produced album Flick of the Switch, which was less successful than their previous albums, and was considered underdeveloped and unmemorable.[46] One critic stated that the band “had made the same album nine times”.[52] AC/DC were voted the eighth-biggest disappointment of the year in the 1984 Kerrang! readers’ poll. However, Flick of the Switch eventually reached No.4 on the UK charts,[19] and AC/DC had minor success with the singles “Nervous Shakedown” and “Flick of the Switch”. Fly on the Wall, produced by the Young brothers in 1985, was also regarded as uninspired and directionless.[53] A music concept video of the same name featured the band at a bar, playing five of the album’s ten songs.

In 1986, the group returned to the charts with the made-for-radio “Who Made Who”. The album Who Made Who was the soundtrack to Stephen King’s film Maximum Overdrive,[36] It brought together older hits, such as “You Shook Me All Night Long” and “Ride On”, with newer songs such as title track “Who Made Who”, and two new instrumentals, “D.T.” and “Chase the Ace”.

In February 1988, AC/DC were inducted into the Australian Recording Industry Association’s Hall of Fame.[54]
Back to commercial success (1987–90)

AC/DC’s 1988 album, Blow Up Your Video, was recorded at Studio Miraval in Le Val (Occitania), France, and reunited the band with their original producers, Harry Vanda and George Young. The group recorded nineteen songs, choosing ten for the final release; though the album was later criticised for containing excessive “filler”,[55] it was a commercial success. Blow Up Your Video sold more copies than the previous two studio releases combined, reaching No.2 on the UK charts—AC/DC’s highest position since “Back in Black” in 1980. The album featured the UK top-twenty single “Heatseeker”[45] and popular songs such as “That’s the Way I Wanna Rock ‘n’ Roll”. The Blow Up Your Video World Tour began in February 1988, in Perth, Australia. That April, following live appearances across Europe, Malcolm Young announced that he was taking time off from touring, principally to begin recovery from his alcoholism. Another member of the Young family, Stevie Young, temporarily took Malcolm’s place.
Phil Rudd performs at the KeyArena in Seattle on 12 August 1996 during the Ballbreaker World Tour

Following the tour, Wright left the group to work on the upcoming Dio album Lock Up the Wolves, and was replaced by session veteran Chris Slade. Johnson was unavailable for several months while finalising his divorce,[19] so the Young brothers wrote all the songs for the next album, a practice they continued for all subsequent releases through Black Ice in 2008.
Popularity regained (1990–1994)

The next album, The Razors Edge, was recorded in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, and was mixed and engineered by Mike Fraser and produced by Bruce Fairbairn, who had previously worked with Aerosmith and Bon Jovi. Released in 1990, it was a major comeback for the band, and included the hits “Thunderstruck” and “Are You Ready”, which reached No.5 and No.16 respectively on Billboards Mainstream Rock Tracks Chart, and Moneytalks, which peaked at No.23 on the Billboard Hot 100.[45] The album went multi-platinum and reached the US top ten. Several shows on the Razors Edge tour were recorded for the 1992 live album, titled Live. Live was produced by Fairbairn, and is considered one of the best live albums of the 1990s.[56] AC/DC headlined the Monsters of Rock show during this tour, which was released on DVD as Live at Donington. During The Razors Edge tour three fans were killed at a concert at the Salt Palace in Salt Lake City, Utah in January 1991. When the concert began fans rushed the stage crushing the three and injuring others. It took 20 minutes before venue security and the group understood the severity of the situation and stopped the concert. AC/DC settled with the victims’ families out of court. As a result of this incident, the Salt Palace eliminated festival seating from future events.[57][58] A year later, AC/DC recorded “Big Gun” for the soundtrack of the Arnold Schwarzenegger movie Last Action Hero, and was released as a single, reaching No.1 on the US Mainstream Rock chart, the band’s first No.1 single on that chart.[27]
Popularity confirmed (1994–2008)

In 1994, Angus and Malcolm invited Rudd to several jam sessions. He was eventually rehired to replace Slade, whose amicable departure arose in part because of the band’s strong desire to again work with Rudd. Recorded at the Ocean Way Studios in Los Angeles by the reunited 1980–83 line-up and produced by Rick Rubin, Ballbreaker was released in 1995. The first single from the album was “Hard as a Rock”. Two more singles were released from the album: “Hail Caesar” and “Cover You in Oil”.
In 1997, a box set named Bonfire was released. It contained four albums; a remastered version of Back in Black; Volts (a disc with alternate takes, outtakes, and stray live cuts) and two live albums, Live from the Atlantic Studios and Let There Be Rock: The Movie. Live from the Atlantic Studios was recorded on 7 December 1977 at the Atlantic Studios in New York. Let There Be Rock: The Movie was a double album recorded in 1979 at the Pavillon de Paris and was the soundtrack of a motion picture, AC/DC: Let There Be Rock. The US version of the box set included a colour booklet, a two-sided poster, a sticker, a temporary tattoo, a keychain bottle opener, and a guitar pick.[59]
Angus Young performs in Cologne, Germany in 2001 during the Stiff Upper Lip Tour

In 2000, the band released Stiff Upper Lip, produced by brother George Young at the Warehouse Studio, again in Vancouver. The album was better received by critics than Ballbreaker but was considered lacking in new ideas.[60][61] The Australian release included a bonus disc with three promotional videos and several live performances recorded in Madrid, Spain in 1996. Stiff Upper Lip reached No.1 in five countries, including Argentina and Germany; No.2 in three countries, Spain, France and Switzerland; No.3 in Australia; No.5 in Canada and Portugal; and No.7 in Norway, the US and Hungary. The first single, “Stiff Upper Lip”, remained at No.1 on the US Mainstream Rock charts for four weeks.[27] The other singles released also did very well; “Satellite Blues” and “Safe in New York City” reached No.7 and No.31 on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock Tracks, respectively.

In 2002, AC/DC signed a long-term, multi-album deal with Sony Music,[62] who went on to release a series of remastered albums as part of their AC/DC remasters series. Each release contained an expanded booklet featuring rare photographs, memorabilia, and notes.[63] In 2003, the entire back-catalogue (except Ballbreaker and Stiff Upper Lip) was remastered and re-released. Ballbreaker was eventually re-released in October 2005; Stiff Upper Lip was later re-released in April 2007. Also in 2003, the band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

On 30 July 2003, the band performed with the Rolling Stones and Rush at Molson Canadian Rocks for Toronto. The concert, held before an audience of half a million, was intended to help the city overcome the negative publicity stemming from the effects of a 2003 SARS epidemic. The concert holds the record for the largest paid music event in North American history.[64] The band came second in a list of Australia’s highest-earning entertainers for 2005,[65] and sixth for 2006,[66] despite having neither toured since 2003 nor released an album since 2000. Verizon Wireless has gained the rights to release AC/DC’s full albums and the entire Live at Donington concert to download in 2008.[67]

On 16 October 2007, Columbia Records released a double and triple DVD titled Plug Me In. The set consists of five and seven hours of rare footage, and even a recording of AC/DC at a high school performing “School Days”, “T.N.T.”, “She’s Got Balls”, and “It’s a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock ‘n’ Roll)”. As with Family Jewels, disc one contains rare shows of the band with Bon Scott, and disc two is about the Brian Johnson era. The collector’s edition contains an extra DVD with 21 more rare performances of both Scott and Johnson and more interviews.[68]

AC/DC made their video game debut on Rock Band 2, with “Let There Be Rock” included as a playable track.[69] The setlist from their Live at Donington live album was released as playable songs for the Rock Band series by means of a Wal-Mart-exclusive retail disc titled AC/DC Live: Rock Band Track Pack.[70]

No Bull: The Directors Cut, a newly edited, comprehensive Blu-ray and DVD of the band’s July 1996 Plaza De Toros de las Ventas concert in Madrid, Spain, was released on 9 September 2008.[71]
Black Ice (2008–11)
AC/DC performs at Rogers Centre in Toronto on 7 November 2008 during their Black Ice World Tour

“Rock ‘n’ Roll Train”
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Sample of Black Ice’s lead single “Rock ‘n’ Roll Train”. The song is centred around guitar riffs and elemental drum beats,[72] and features harmonic backing vocals during the chorus.[73]
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On 18 August 2008, Columbia Records announced 18 October Australian release, and 20 October worldwide release, of the studio album Black Ice. The 15-track album was the band’s first studio release in eight years, was produced by Brendan O’Brien and was mixed and engineered by Mike Fraser. Like Stiff Upper Lip, it was recorded at The Warehouse Studio in Vancouver, British Columbia. Black Ice was sold in the US exclusively at Walmart and Sam’s Club and the band’s official website.[74]

“Rock ‘n’ Roll Train”, the album’s first single, was released to radio on 28 August. On 15 August, AC/DC recorded a video for a song from the new album in London with a special selection of fans getting the chance to be in the video.[75] Black Ice made history debuting at No.1 on album charts in 29 countries and also has the distinction of being Columbia Records’ biggest debut album (since Nielsen SoundScan began tracking sales data for Billboard in March 1991). Black Ice has been certified Multi Platinum in eight countries, including the US, Australia, Canada, Switzerland, Sweden, Norway, Germany and the Czech Republic. Additionally Black Ice has achieved Platinum status in twelve countries (Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, UK, Argentina, Singapore and New Zealand) and Gold status in four countries (The Netherlands, Spain, Poland and Brazil). With over 6.5 million copies of Black Ice shipped worldwide, combined with over 5.5 million in catalogue sold, AC/DC have surpassed The Beatles as the No.1 selling catalogue artist in the US for 2008. The 18-month Black Ice World Tour supporting the new album was announced on 11 September and began on 28 October in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania.[76]

On 15 September 2008, AC/DC Radio debuted on Sirius Channel 19 and XM channel 53. The channel plays AC/DC music along with interviews with the band members.[77]
Angus Young on 18 June 2010 at the Stade de France (Paris).

With the North American release of Black Ice on 20 October 2008, Columbia Records and Walmart created “Rock Again AC/DC Stores” to promote the album. In October 2008, MTV, Walmart, and Columbia created “AC/DC Rock Band Stores” in New York City, at Times Square, and in Los Angeles. “Black Ice” trucks were also dispatched on the streets of these two cities after the release, playing AC/DC music aloud and making various stops each day to sell merchandise.[78]

In late September 2009, the band rescheduled six shows when Brian Johnson underwent an operation for ulcers.[79] On 29 September, the band announced a collection of studio and live rarities, Backtracks, which was released on 10 November 2009 as a 3-CD/2-DVD/1-LP box-set.[80]

On 4 November AC/DC were announced as the Business Review Weekly top Australian earner (entertainment) for 2009 with earnings of $105 million. This displaced The Wiggles from the number one spot for the first time in four years.[81]

On 19 April 2010, AC/DC released Iron Man 2, the soundtrack for the eponymous film.[82] One month later, the band headlined Download Festival at Donington Park,[83] and closed the Black Ice World Tour in Bilbao, Spain on 28 June 2010, after 20 months in which AC/DC went to 108 cities in over 28 countries, with an estimated audience of over five million people.[84] Three concerts in December 2009 at the River Plate Stadium in Argentina were released as the DVD Live at River Plate on 10 May 2011.[85] An exclusive single from the DVD, featuring the songs “Shoot to Thrill” and “War Machine”, was issued on Record Store Day.[86] In 2011, the band also issued on DVD and Blu-ray the concert movie AC/DC: Let There Be Rock, which had its theatrical release in 1980.[87]
Rock or Bust, 40th anniversary tour, departure of Malcolm Young (2011–present)

Angus stated in an interview in early May 2011 that the band was beginning to plan another world tour, saying, “Now we’re thinking, ‘How can we ever better the ‘Black Ice’ world tour?’ But we will.”[88] At the band’s Live at River Plate DVD premiere on 6 May 2011 at the Hammersmith Apollo in London, England, Angus said that there were plans for the group to release a new studio album “within the next couple of years”, which the tour would support.[89] Also, AC/DC’s 40th anniversary will be marked for 2013. Most recently, Brian Johnson was a guest on VH1 Classic’s “That Metal Show” saying the band would get back in the studio and release an album in early to mid-2013. Later, Johnson called in to “The Cowhead Show” and reported that the next album has been delayed due to a health issue with one of the band members. He stated that an illness suffered by one of his bandmates may have temporarily put plans for a new album on hold. He would not go into specifics about which member or what the illness was, but he did say it was not terminal and that the afflicted member was on the path to recovery.

In May 2012, Malcolm Young confirmed that the band are working on a potential follow-up to 2008’s Black Ice. But he warned that fans are in for a longer wait than expected, after lead singer Brian Johnson suggested there would be new material next year. Malcolm stated, “You know what Brian’s like. He just says things and then walks away. It’ll be a little while – a year or two anyway. I’ve been doing some jamming on some song ideas but I do that all the time, as do the rest of the band. We are still working. But we had a long rest between Stiff Upper Lip and Black Ice, so I think we need a couple of years to recuperate and work on it a bit more.”[90]

On 19 November 2012, AC/DC released Live at River Plate,[91] their first live album in 20 years.

In April 2013, Aerosmith front man, Steven Tyler stated he wants to tour with AC/DC and is willing to take a pay cut for this to happen.[92]

On 16 April 2014, in response to earlier reports that the band may be retiring due to Malcolm Young being seriously ill and unable to perform,[93] Brian Johnson commented that AC/DC are not retiring, stating “We are definitely getting together in May in Vancouver. We’re going to pick up guitars, have a plonk and see if anybody has got any tunes or ideas. If anything happens we’ll record it.”[94] AC/DC subsequently announced in an official statement on their Facebook page that Malcolm Young would be taking a break from the band due to his ill health. It ended: “The band will continue to make music.”[95] In June, Johnson announced that AC/DC are “very likely” to be on the road again before the end of 2014.[96] In July 2014, AC/DC confirmed that they have finished recording their next album and that Malcolm’s nephew, Stevie Young replaced Malcolm in the studio.[97]

Drummer Phil Rudd released his first solo album, Head Job, on 29 August 2014. He confirmed that there would be another AC/DC tour, and stated that the band had no intention of retiring, adding, “We’ll all have to be dead before it stops.”[98]

On 23 September 2014, Alberts management confirmed that founding member Malcolm Young had officially departed from the band and revealed that their new record entitled Rock or Bust featuring eleven new tracks will be released on 28 November 2014 as the first AC/DC album in the band’s history without Malcolm Young on the recordings.[1] The band also announced plans for a world tour to promote the new album with Malcolm and Angus’ nephew Stevie Young as Malcolm’s replacement.[99]
Legacy
The street sign for ACDC Lane, Melbourne

AC/DC were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on 10 March 2003.[100] During the ceremony the band performed “Highway to Hell” and “You Shook Me All Night Long”, with guest vocals provided by host Steven Tyler of Aerosmith. He described the band’s power chords as “the thunder from down under that gives you the second most powerful surge that can flow through your body.”[101] During the acceptance speech, Brian Johnson quoted their 1977 song “Let There Be Rock”.[102]

On 22 March 2000, the municipality of Leganés (near Madrid) named a street in honour of the band as “Calle de AC/DC” (“AC/DC Street”). Malcolm and Angus assisted in the inauguration with many fans. Later that day, the plaque with the name of the group was stolen, perhaps by an enthusiast or collector. The plaque was replaced two hours later, and stolen once again a mere three days after the fact. The plaque had since been stolen numerous times, forcing the municipality of Leganés to begin selling replicas of the official street plaque.

In May 2003, Malcolm Young accepted a Ted Albert Award for Outstanding Service to Australian Music at the 2003 Music Winners Awards, during which he paid special tribute to Bon Scott.[103]

On 1 October 2004, a central Melbourne thoroughfare, Corporation Lane, was renamed ACDC Lane in honour of the band. However, the City of Melbourne forbade the use of the slash character in street names, so the four letters were combined.[104] The lane is near Swanston Street where, on the back of a truck, the band recorded their video for the 1975 hit “It’s a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock ‘n’ Roll)”.[28]

They sold over 1.3 million CDs in the US during 2007 despite not having released a new album since 2000 at that point. Additionally, the group’s commercial success continues to flourish despite their choice to refrain from selling albums in digital online formats for many years.[105] However, in November 2012, the entire catalogue (excluding the T.N.T. album and the Australian versions of the High Voltage, Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap and Let There Be Rock albums) became available on the iTunes Store.[106]

In 2009 the Recording Industry Association of America upgraded the group’s US sales figures from 69 million to 71 million, making AC/DC the fifth-best-selling band in US history and the tenth-best-selling artist, selling more albums than Madonna and Mariah Carey.[7] The RIAA also certified Back in Black as double Diamond (20 million) in US sales, and by 2007 the album had sold 22 million copies, which made it the fifth-best-selling album of all-time in the US.[10] It is currently the second-best-selling album worldwide.
Band members
Main article: List of AC/DC band members

Robert William Gary Moore (4 April 1952 – 6 February 2011), was a Northern Irish musician, most widely recognised as a singer and virtuoso guitarist.

In a career dating back to the 1960s, Moore played with musicians including Phil Lynott and Brian Downey during his teens, leading him to memberships with the Irish bands Skid Row and Thin Lizzy. Moore shared the stage with such blues and rock musicians as B.B. King, Albert King, Albert Collins, George Harrison, and Greg Lake, as well as having a successful solo career. He guested on a number of albums recorded by high-profile musicians.
Moore grew up on Castleview Road opposite Stormont Parliament Buildings, off the Upper Newtownards Road in east Belfast, as one of five children of a promoter named Bobby and housewife, Winnie. He left the city as a teenager, because of troubles in his family – his parents parted a year later – just as The Troubles were starting in Northern Ireland.

Moore started performing at a young age, having picked up a battered acoustic guitar at the age of eight. He got his first quality guitar at the age of 14, learning to play the right-handed instrument in the standard way despite being left-handed.

Aiming to become a musician, he moved to Dublin at the age of 16. Moore’s greatest influence in the early days was guitarist Peter Green of Fleetwood Mac who was a mentor to Moore when performing in Dublin. Green’s continued influence on Moore was later repaid as a tribute to Green on his 1995 album Blues for Greeny, an album consisting entirely of Green compositions. On this tribute album, Moore played Green’s 1959 Les Paul Standard guitar which Green had lent to Moore after leaving Fleetwood Mac. Moore ultimately purchased the guitar, at Green’s request, so that “it would have a good home”. Other early musical influences were artists such as Albert King, Elvis Presley, The Shadows and The Beatles. Later, having seen Jimi Hendrix and John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers in his home town of Belfast, his own style was developing into a blues-rock sound that would be the dominant form of his career in music.
Changing bands

In Dublin, Moore joined the group Skid Row with Noel Bridgeman and Brendan “Brush” Shiels. It was with this group that he earned a reputation in the music industry, and his association with Phil Lynott began.

In 1970, Moore moved to England and remained there, apart from two short periods in the United States. In 1973, under the moniker “The Gary Moore Band” he released his first solo album in 1973, Grinding Stone . “Grinding Stone” was issued in North America on Neil Kempfer-Stocker’s fledgling record label imprint Cosmos and received “Album of the Year” accolades on KTAC-FM/Seattle-Tacoma, Washington in 1974.

In 1974 he re-joined Lynott, when he first joined Thin Lizzy after the departure of founding member Eric Bell.

From 1975 to August 1978, he was a member of Colosseum II. With the band he also collaborated with Andrew Lloyd Webber on the composer’s Variations album in 1978.

In 1977, Moore re-joined Thin Lizzy, first as a temporary replacement for Brian Robertson, and on a permanent basis a year later.
Solo career

In July 1979, he left the band permanently to focus on his solo career, again with help from Phil Lynott. The combination of Moore’s blues-based guitar and Lynott’s voice produced “Parisienne Walkways”, which reached the Top Ten in the UK Singles Chart in April 1979 and the Thin Lizzy album Black Rose: A Rock Legend which reached number two in the UK album chart. Moore appears in the videos for “Waiting for an Alibi” and “Do Anything You Want To”.
Moore performing at the Manchester Apollo, 1985

In 1987, he performed a guitar solo for a cover of the Beatles’ “Let It Be”. which was released under the group-name of Ferry Aid. The record raised substantial funds for the survivors of the MS Herald of Free Enterprise disaster. In 1990, he played the lead guitar solo on “She’s My Baby” from Traveling Wilburys Vol. 3.
Moore performing, 23 October 2010

After a series of rock records, Moore returned to blues music with Still Got the Blues (1990), with contributions from Albert King, Albert Collins and George Harrison. The album was well received by fans. He stayed with the blues format until 1997 when he returned to the harder rock, but with a softer, more pop and ballad-oriented sound on Dark Days in Paradise followed with another change of direction in 1999, when he decided to experiment with modern dance beats on A Different Beat; this left many fans, as well as the music press, confused. He also contributed guitar sections to Richard Blackwood’s 2000 album, You’ll Love to Hate This.

With Back to the Blues, Moore returned to his tried and tested blues format in 2001: he continued with this style on Power of the Blues (2004), Old New Ballads Blues (2006), Close As You Get (2007) and Bad For You Baby (2008).

In January 2005, Moore joined the One World Project, which recorded a song for the 2004 Asian Tsunami relief effort. The group featured Russell Watson, Boy George, Steve Winwood, Barry Gibb, Brian Wilson, Cliff Richard, Dewey Bunnell, Gerry Beckley and Robin Gibb on vocals (in their order of appearance), and featured a guitar solo by Moore. The song, entitled “Grief Never Grows Old”, was released in February 2005, reaching No. 4 on the UK Singles Chart.[6]

He also took part in a comedy skit entitled “The Easy Guitar Book Sketch” with comedian Rowland Rivron and fellow musicians Mark Knopfler, Lemmy from Motörhead, Mark King from Level 42, and David Gilmour.[citation needed]

In 2002, he bought a five-bedroom detached Edwardian house in Hove, just west of Brighton, Sussex, to be near his sons, Jack and Gus, from his former marriage, which had lasted from 1985 to 1993. Since 1997, he was living with his partner, an artist named Jo, and their daughter Lily (b. 1999). His daughter Saoirse, was born from an earlier relationship while he was with Skid Row. His residence was reported to be on Vallance Gardens in Hove, East Sussex.
Death

Gary Moore died of a heart attack in his sleep at the age of 58 during the early hours of 6 February 2011. At the time, he was on holiday with a girlfriend at the Kempinski Hotel in Estepona, Spain. After a quiet dinner, they went for a walk on the beach before going up to their room. His girlfriend raised the alarm at 4:00 am, and tried to give him a heart massage. His death was confirmed by Thin Lizzy’s manager Adam Parsons.

Moore was laid to rest in St Margaret’s Churchyard, Rottingdean, East Sussex, England, in a private ceremony, with only the family and close friends in attendance.
Legacy

While less successful in the US, Moore was popular in Europe. Throughout his career, Moore was recognised as an influence by many notable guitarists including Martin Barre,Vivian Campbell, Patrick Rondat, John Norum, Paul Gilbert, Gus G, Slash, Orianthi, Joe Bonamassa, Adrian Smith, Doug Aldrich, Zakk Wylde, Randy Rhoads, John Sykes and Kirk Hammett.

Steven Siro Vai (born June 6, 1960) is an American guitarist, songwriter, and producer who has sold over 15 million albums. After starting his career as a music transcriptionist for Frank Zappa, he recorded and toured in Zappa’s band from 1980 to 1982. He began a solo career in 1983, and has released eight solo albums and won three Grammy Awards.

Vai has recorded and toured with Public Image Ltd., Alcatrazz, David Lee Roth, and Whitesnake. He has been a regular touring member of the G3 Concert Tour, which began in 1995. In 1999, he started his own record label, Favored Nations, intending to showcase “artists that have attained the highest performance level on their chosen instruments”.[1]
Born in Carle Place, New York as a descendant of Italian immigrants, Vai began playing guitar in 1973 at the age of 13.[2] In 1974, he took guitar lessons from guitarist Joe Satriani and played in local bands, one of which was called “The Steve Vais”. He was influenced by guitarists including Jimmy Page, Brian May, Ritchie Blackmore,[3] Jeff Beck, Jimi Hendrix, Glen Buxton,[4] and jazz fusion guitarist Allan Holdsworth. He credits Jimmy Page’s solo in the Led Zeppelin song ‘Heartbreaker’ as his main influence. He has stated, ‘When I first heard that solo, I went wild. I said to myself, “I want to learn how to play that. I’ve got to learn how to play that!”‘ Vai attended Berklee College of Music, afterwards recording a promotional piece for them in which he spoke about auditioning for Frank Zappa at age 20.
Steve Vai (on guitar in between the drums and keyboard), Frank Zappa and band during a concert at the Memorial Auditorium, October 25, 1980 Buffalo, New York
Early music career (1979–1985)

Vai mailed Frank Zappa a transcription of Zappa’s “The Black Page”, an instrumental for drums, along with a tape of Vai’s guitar playing. Zappa was so impressed that in 1979, he hired him to transcribe a number of his guitar solos, including some on the Joe’s Garage album and the Shut Up ‘n’ Play Yer Guitar series. These transcriptions were published in 1982 in The Frank Zappa Guitar Book. After being hired as a transcriber, Vai did overdubs on many of the guitar parts for Zappa’s album You Are What You Is. He became a full-fledged band member, going on his first tour with Zappa in the autumn of 1980.

One of those early shows with Vai on guitar was released as Buffalo in 2007. While touring with Zappa’s band, Vai sometimes asked audience members to bring musical scores and see if he could sight-read them on the spot. Zappa referred to Vai as his “little Italian virtuoso” and listed him in the liner notes as performing “stunt guitar” or “impossible guitar parts”. Vai was a featured artist on the 1993 recording Zappa’s Universe. In 2006 he appeared as a special guest on Dweezil Zappa’s ‘Zappa Plays Zappa’ tour, alongside friends from his early years with Zappa.

After leaving Zappa in 1982 he moved to California, where he recorded his first album Flex-Able, in 1983 (released January 1984) and performed in a couple of bands. In 1985 he replaced Yngwie Malmsteen as lead guitarist in Graham Bonnet’s Alcatrazz, with whom he recorded the album Disturbing the Peace. In 1985, Vai played with John Lydon’s Public Image Ltd on their album Album. Also in February 1985, Vai performed in a one off project for the eclectic jazz label, ECM Records, The Epidemics (ECM 1308). That project was headed by Indian violinist, Shankar, known perhaps best for his work with John Mc Laughlin and featured Brand X bassist, Percy Jones and other players.[5]
With David Lee Roth (1985–1990)
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Also, in 1985, Vai became the object of widespread public fascination after joining—at the urging of his friend, bassist and future bandmate, Billy Sheehan – David Lee Roth’s post-Van Halen supergroup. The David Lee Roth band, which later became known as the Eat ’em and Smile Band (1985–1989), featured Roth on vocals; Vai on guitar; former Talas bassist Billy Sheehan on bass; and former Maynard Ferguson drummer, Gregg Bissonette. The foursome’s debut album, Eat ’em and Smile, was both a critical and commercial success, reaching #4 on the Billboard 200 Album Chart and selling over 2 million copies. Rolling Stone Magazine compared Vai’s guitar-playing favorably to that of Roth’s legendary former partner Eddie Van Halen, stating that Vai “takes his cues from Eddie’s loop-the-loop style, but, importantly, he adds some wild dips of his own. He’s not simply aping Eddie, he’s also embellishing. Likewise, Vai’s musical rapport with Roth mirrors Van Halen’s, and that relationship, as usual, defines much of the material.”[6] Retrospectively, Eat ’em and Smile is frequently evaluated as one of the best rock albums of the 1980s.[7] Vai’s, Roth’s, Sheehan’s, and Bissonette’s highly successful world tour began in May 1986 and continued through 1987.

The Eat ’em and Smile Band’s second album, Skyscraper, (released 1988,) was produced by David Lee Roth and Vai. Like its predecessor, Skyscraper was a major commercial hit, reaching #6 on the Billboard 200 Albums Chart; however, its multi-tracked pop alienated many of Roth’s longtime hard rock fans. The Eat ’em and Smile Band began to fracture after the recording of Skyscraper, when Billy Sheehan left due to “creative differences.” In 1989, following the successful Skyscraper World Tour, Vai’s departure signified the end of the supergroup.[8]
1990s

In 1989, Vai joined Whitesnake, replacing Vivian Campbell. When Adrian Vandenberg injured his wrist shortly before recording was to begin for the album Slip of the Tongue, Vai played all the guitar parts. Vai played on the Alice Cooper album Hey Stoopid, along with Joe Satriani on the song “Feed my Frankenstein.”

Vai continued to tour regularly, with his own group and with his one-time teacher and fellow guitar instrumentalist friend Joe Satriani on the G3 series of tours. Former David Lee Roth and Mr. Big bassist Billy Sheehan joined him for a world tour. In 1990, Vai released his critically acclaimed solo album Passion and Warfare. The song “For the Love of God” was voted #29 in a readers’ poll of the 100 greatest guitar solos of all time in Guitar World magazine. In 1994, Vai began writing and recording with Ozzy Osbourne. One track from these sessions, “My Little Man”, was released on the Ozzmosis album. Despite Vai penning the track, he does not appear on the album, with his guitar parts replaced by Zakk Wylde. Another track, “Dyin’ Day”, appeared as an instrumental on Vai’s Fire Garden album. Vai’s band members in the 90s included drummer Mike Mangini, guitarist Mike Keneally, and bassist Philip Bynoe. In 1994 Vai received a Grammy Award for his performance on the Frank Zappa song Sofa from the album Zappa’s Universe.
Vai playing a twin-necked Ibanez
2000s

Vai released a DVD of his performance at The Astoria in London in December 2001. The performance featured Billy Sheehan, guitarist/pianist Tony MacAlpine, guitarist Dave Weiner, and Australian drummer Virgil Donati. In July 2002, Vai performed with the Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra at the Suntory Hall in Tokyo, Japan, in the world premiere of composer Ichiro Nodaira’s Fire Strings, a concerto for electric guitar and 100-piece orchestra. In 2004, a number of his compositions and orchestral arrangements including some previously recorded pieces, were performed in The Netherlands by the Metropole Orchestra in a concert series entitled The Aching Hunger. In 2003, drummer Jeremy Colson joined Vai’s group, replacing Virgil Donati. Vai’s album Sound Theories, was released in 2007.

In February 2005, Vai premiered a dual-guitar (electric and classical) piece that he called The Blossom Suite, with classical guitarist Sharon Isbin at the Châtelet Theatre in Paris. In 2006, Vai played as a special guest guitarist alongside additional guest Zappa band members, drummer Terry Bozzio and saxophonist-singer Napoleon Murphy Brock in the “Zappa Plays Zappa” tour led by Frank’s son Dweezil Zappa in Europe and the U.S. in the Spring, as well as a short U.S. tour in October. On September 21, 2006, Vai made a special appearance at the Video Games Live concert at the Hollywood Bowl in Hollywood. He played two songs with the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra; Halo Theme, and a second song for the world premier trailer for Halo 3.

In 2005, Vai signed on as an official supporter of Little Kids Rock, a nonprofit organization that provides free musical instruments and instruction to children in public schools throughout the United States. He sits on LKR’s Honorary board of directors. Vai was a judge for the 3rd and 8th annual Independent Music Awards to support independent artists.[9] Vai is the founder of the Make A Noise Foundation, which he started with his manager Ruta Sepetys.[10] The foundation’s goal is to provide funding for music education and programs for those unable to pursue music-related activities due to limited resources.[11] Vai is also a patron of music education around the world giving master classes in such prestigious music schools as the Fermatta Music Academy.

Vai made an appearance at the London Guitar Show in 2007 on April 28, 2007 at the ExCeL Center. In late April 2007, Vai confirmed the release of his record, Sound Theories, on June 26. The release is a two-CD set, mostly of previously released material that Vai rearranged and played with a full orchestra. Vai says the project was a great joy because he considers himself a composer more than a guitarist, and he is happy to see music he has composed played by an orchestra that can play it well. A DVD followed the record later that year. He guested on the Dream Theater album Systematic Chaos, on the song “Repentance”. The appearance was vocal rather than instrumental, as Vai was only one of many musical guests recorded. The song features contributions from many artists, with the aim of apologizing to important people in their lives for wrongdoings committed in their pasts. On August 29, 2009, he appeared on stage with Dream Theater during the final show of their Progressive Nation tour at the Greek Theater, where he performed in an improvised jam with the other musicians on tour. Broken Records magazine (Volume 1, Issue 3) quotes Vai as saying, “I enjoy challenging myself to come up with new ideas that I believe are unique.”
2010s

In 2010, Vai released several “VaiTunes” singles of tracks that were previously recorded and later finished. They are available on Vai.com, iTunes and Amazon.com. On September 14, 2010, Steve released “Where The Wild Things Are” as double vinyl through his label Favored Nations and made a guest appearance with Rickey Minor and The Tonight Show Band on NBC. In October 2010, Steve completed his first full symphony and performed the compositions at the Steve Vai Festival which featured Vai and the North Netherlands Symphony Orchestra (NNO) on October 20–24, 2010. “The possibility to write for a full orchestra, as Vai was offered the opportunity to do during the last years, closes a circle back to the beginning of his solo career, his years with Frank Zappa and his first pieces for his debut record Flex-Able (1984).”[12] After the Holland shows, Vai embarked for the US to headline the “Experience Hendrix Tour” which featured Eric Johnson, Kenny Wayne Shephard, Susan Tedeschi, Billy Cox, Vernon Reid, Robert Randolph, Jonny Lang, Brad Whitford and other top guitarists.

On March 3, 2011, the online education division of Boston’s Berklee College of Music and Steve Vai, set the Guinness World Record for the world’s largest online guitar lesson. The first-of-its-kind initiative, held at streaming media platform Livestream Studios in New York City, brought together thousands of members of guitarists.

In 2013, Vai was featured in Iwrestledabearonce’s album Late For Nothing, performing sections of the song “Carnage Asada” on guitar.

“Juice” was featured on the 1996 video game “Formula One” for the PlayStation. Steve Vai’s guitar-work appeared in the video game Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. David Lee Roth’s “Yankee Rose” was featured on the game’s soundtrack as well as “God Blessed Video” by Alcatrazz as part of the Lazlow-led, 1980s rock/metal radio station “V-Rock.” In 2004, Steve Vai was featured on Xbox’s Halo 2 (a game by Bungie Studios) Volume 1 soundtrack, performing a heavy rock-guitar rendition of the Halo theme, known as Halo Theme (MJOLNIR Mix). He also performed on the track Never Surrender. He later featured in the second volume of the soundtrack, where he performed on the track Reclaimer.

In 2008, Steve Vai’s For the Love of God and Halo Theme (MJOLNIR Mix) were featured as downloadable tracks for the game Guitar Hero 3. A live version of the song “For the Love of God” was also available at release on the Rock Band Network as well as the song “Get the Hell Out of Here” from his 2002 album “The Elusive Light and Sound, Vol. 1” on March 4, 2010. The Attitude Song and a live version of The Crying Machine were both also added to the Rock Band Network. A re-recording of “Speeding” is featured in the 2010 video game Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock for Xbox 360, Wii and PlayStation 3.
Films

Steve Vai’s music has appeared in feature films, including Dudes and Ghosts of Mars. He appeared onscreen in the 1986 Walter Hill film Crossroads, playing the demonically-inspired Jack Butler. At the film’s climax, Vai engages in a guitar duel with Ralph Macchio, whose guitar parts were dubbed by Vai and Ry Cooder, who played the initial slide work in the duel and Macchio’s earlier performances in the film. Vai composed the fast-paced neo-classical track Eugene’s Trick Bag that wins Macchio the competition. He based the body of the piece heavily on Paganini’s Capriccio number 5. He later borrowed the opening riff from the track Head Cuttin’ Duel for a song called Bad Horsie from his 1995 EP Alien Love Secrets. The Crossroads duel reappeared on the 2002 album The Elusive Light and Sound, volume 1.

In 1991’s Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey, the introductory riff to KISS’ “God Gave Rock ‘n’ Roll to You II”, as performed by the Wyld Stallyns in the Battle of the Bands, was performed by Vai. He composed and performed the soundtrack to PCU (1994), and made contributions in 2001 to the score for John Carpenter’s Ghosts of Mars, performing on the tracks “Ghosts of Mars” and “Ghost Poppin'”. His track, “Get the Hell Out of Here”, can be heard during 1992’s Encino Man in the scene where Brendan Fraser is taking a driving lesson. He plays guitar in the animated short film “Live Music”.
Style and influence
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Vai performing in 2001.

Steve Vai has been called a guitar virtuoso.[13] His 1990 album Passion and Warfare is often cited by critics and fans alike as among his best works. Particularly the instrumental “For the Love of God” has received a lot of attention from the music press, and is noteworthy in that the entire six-minute piece was reportedly recorded in just one take.[14] Vai’s playing style has been characterized as quirky and angular, due to his technical ability with the guitar instrument and deep knowledge of music theory. He regularly uses odd rhythmic groupings and his melodies often employ the Lydian mode.

Perhaps his most readily-identifiable stylistic feature is his creative use of the floating vibrato, using it to add melodic lines that sound odd to the ear. His playing can be described as lyrical, as if sung by a human voice. During the recording of “Eat ’em and Smile” with David Lee Roth, he employed several guitar techniques that “mimicked” the human voice, as heard in the opening bars of the opening track “Yankee Rose.” He is noted for being physically expressive as he plays his guitar. He often uses exotic guitars: he plays both double and triple neck guitars.
Equipment

Vai is also a producer. He owns two studios, “The Mothership”[15] and “The Harmony Hut”,[16] and his own recordings combine his guitar skills and novel compositions with studio and recording effects. Vai helped design his signature Ibanez JEM guitar series. They feature a hand grip (fondly referred to as a “monkey grip”) cut into the top of the body of the guitar, a humbucker–single coil-humbucker (H/S/H) DiMarzio pickup configuration with several different types of pickup including Evolution, Breed and EVO 2. He also uses the Ibanez Edge and Lo-Pro Edge double-locking tremolo systems (between the years 2003–2009, production JEMs had the Edge Pro, which is now discontinued), as well as an elaborate and extensive “Tree of Life” inlay down the neck. Vai also equips many of his guitars with an Ibanez Backstop, a tremolo stabilizer that has been discontinued. Lately Vai has also equipped some of his guitars with True Temperament fretboards to make his chords sound more in tune.[17]

Vai has a 7-string model designed by him named Ibanez Universe, featuring DiMarzio Blaze pickups in an HSH arrangement. The Universe gained additional early attention in the early-to-mid ’90s from two bands/musicians other than Vai: Korn, who used the guitar downtuned an additional step (to “A”), selling millions of albums worldwide and pioneered nu metal songwriting and sonics[18] ” with their uniquely heavy yet untraditionally “Heavy Metal” sounds, as well as progressive rock band Dream Theater whose guitarist John Petrucci began using Ibanez 7-strings on their 1994 album Awake and has continued to do so in their technically challenging playing and songwriting. Vai also has a signature Ibanez acoustic, the Euphoria. His two main guitars are white JEMs dubbed “Evo” and “Flo”, each with their own unique modifications. Before Ibanez, he briefly endorsed Jackson guitars, but the relationship only lasted two years. Steve Vai has also worked with Carvin Guitars and Pro Audio to develop the Carvin Legacy line of guitar amplifiers. Vai wanted to create an affordable amp that was unique, and equal in sound and versatility to any guitar amp he had previously used.[19] Over his long musical career, Steve Vai has used and designed an array of guitars. He even had his blood put into the swirl paint job on one of his signature JEM guitars, the JEM2KDNA.[20] Only 300 of these were made. Currently, he mainly uses his white “Evo”, a JEM7V, and his “Flo”, which is a customized Floral JEM 77FP painted white. They are both inscribed with their names in two places, mainly so he can distinguish between them onstage. “Flo” is equipped with a Fernandes sustainer system.

He has a guitar named “Mojo” with dot inlays that are blue LED lights. He has a custom-made triple-neck guitar that has the same basic features as his JEM7V guitars. The top neck is a 12-string guitar, the middle is a six-string, and the bottom is a six-string fretless guitar with a Fernandes Sustainer pickup. This guitar was featured on the G3 2003 tour on the piece I Know You’re Here. Vai’s effects pedals include a modified BOSS DS-1, Ibanez Tube Screamer, Morley Bad Horsie, Ibanez Jemini Twin Distortion Pedal, TC Electronics G-System, Morley Little Alligator Volume pedal, DigiTech Whammy, and an MXR Phase 90/Phase 100 on the Passion and Warfare album. His flight cases are labeled “Mr. Vai”, or lately, “Dr. Vai.” He has used a number of rack effects units controlled via MIDI, but used a floor-based TC electronics G system instead for the Zappa Plays Zappa tour.

Rainbow (also known as Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow or Blackmore’s Rainbow) were a British rock band led by guitarist Ritchie Blackmore from 1975 to 1984 and 1993 to 1997. They were originally established with American rock band Elf’s members, but Blackmore fired all the members except Ronnie James Dio who would leave in 1979. Three British musicians joined in 1979, singer Graham Bonnet, keyboardist Don Airey, former Deep Purple bassist Roger Glover, and this line-up gave the band their commercial breakthrough with the single “Since You Been Gone”. Over the years Rainbow went through many line-up changes with no two studio albums featuring the same line-up. Other lead singers Joe Lynn Turner and Doogie White would follow, and the project consisted of numerous backing musicians. The band started out combining mystical lyric themes with neoclassical metal, but went in a more streamlined commercial style following Dio’s departure from the group.[1]

Rainbow were ranked No. 90 on VH1’s 100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock.[2] The band has sold over 28 million albums worldwide and 4 million albums in the United States.
Formation (1975)
Ronnie James Dio in 2006.

By 1974, Blackmore had steered Deep Purple through a significant personnel change, with Ian Gillan and Roger Glover being replaced by David Coverdale and Glenn Hughes. However, the new members were keen to add new musical styles, and Blackmore found his own request to record the Steve Hammond-penned “Black Sheep of the Family”, with “Sixteenth Century Greensleeves” turned down by the band.[3] He decided to record the song with Dio instead, using his band Elf as additional musicians.[4] He enjoyed the results, and a full album, billed as Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow was recorded between February and March 1975 at Musicland Studios in Munich, Germany.[5] The band name was inspired by the Rainbow Bar and Grill in Hollywood.[6]

Rainbow’s music was partly inspired by classical music since Blackmore started playing cello to help him construct interesting chord progressions,[7][8] and Dio wrote lyrics about medieval themes. Dio possessed a versatile vocal range capable of singing both hard rock and lighter ballads, and, according to Blackmore, “I felt shivers down my spine.”[9] Although Dio never played a musical instrument on any Rainbow album, he is credited with writing and arranging the music with Blackmore, in addition to writing all the lyrics himself.[5][10][11] Blackmore and Dio also found a common ground in their sense of humour.[12]

Following the positive experience of recording with Dio, Blackmore decided to leave Deep Purple, playing his last show in Paris in April.[3][13] The album had a positive critical reception and was a top 20 UK and top 30 US hit. Blackmore’s departure from Deep Purple was publicly announced on 21 June.[14]
First world tour and initial success (1975–78)
Rainbow performing in Munich in 1977. The electric rainbow that spanned the stage used so much power, it frequently interfered with the guitars and amplifiers.[15]

Blackmore was unhappy about carrying the Elf line-up along for live performances, and so he fired everybody except Dio shortly after the album was recorded, due to Driscoll’s style of drumming and the funky bass playing of Gruber.[16] Blackmore would continue to dictate personnel for the remainder of the band’s lifetime, with drummer and former bandmate Ricky Munro remarking “he was very difficult to get on with because you never knew when he would turn around and say ‘You’re sacked’.”[17] Blackmore recruited bassist Jimmy Bain, American keyboard player Tony Carey and drummer Cozy Powell, who had previously worked with Jeff Beck and had some solo success.[16] Powell also greatly appealed to Blackmore in their mutual fondness for practical jokes.[18]

This line-up also commenced the first world tour for the band, with the first date in Montreal on 10 November 1975. The centrepiece of the band’s live performance was a computer-controlled rainbow, stretching 40 feet across the stage.[19] and included 3000 lightbulbs.[18] A second album, Rising, was recorded in February at Musicland. By the time of the European dates in the summer of 1976, Rainbow’s reputation as a blistering live act had been established. The band added Deep Purple’s Mistreated to their setlist, and song lengths were stretched to include improvisation.[20] Carey recalls rehearsing the material was fairly straightforward, saying “We didn’t work anything out, except the structure, the ending … very free-form, really progressive rock.”[21] The album art was designed by famed fantasy artist Ken Kelly, who had drawn Tarzan and Conan the Barbarian.[22][23]

In August 1976, following a gig at Newcastle City Hall, Blackmore decided to fire Carey, believing his playing style to be too complicated for the band. Unable to find a suitable replacement quickly, Carey was quickly reinstated,[24] but as the world tour progressed onto Japan, he found himself regularly being the recipient of Blackmore’s pranks and humour.[25] Blackmore subsequently decided that Bain was substandard and fired him in January 1977. The same fate befell Carey shortly after. Blackmore, however, had difficulty finding replacements he liked. On keyboards, after auditioning several high profile artists, including Vanilla Fudge’s Mark Stein, Procol Harum’s Matthew Fisher and ex-Curved Air and Roxy Music man Eddie Jobson, Blackmore finally selected Canadian David Stone, from the little-known band Symphonic Slam. For a bass player, Blackmore originally chose Mark Clarke, formerly of Jon Hiseman’s Colosseum, Uriah Heep and Tempest, but once in the studio for the next album, Long Live Rock ‘n’ Roll, Blackmore disliked Clarke’s fingerstyle method of playing so much that he fired Clarke on the spot and played bass himself on all but four songs: the album’s title track, “Gates of Babylon”, “Kill the King”, and “Sensitive to Light”. Former Widowmaker bassist, Australian Bob Daisley was hired to record these tracks, completing the band’s next line-up.

After the release and extensive world tour in 1977–78, Blackmore decided that he wanted to take the band in a new commercial direction away from the “sword and sorcery” theme.[26] Dio did not agree with this change and left Rainbow.
Commercial success (1978-84)
Graham Bonnet in 2008.

Blackmore attempted to replace Dio with Ian Gillan, but Gillan turned him down. After a series of auditions, former vocalist/guitarist of The Marbles, Graham Bonnet was recruited instead. Powell stayed, but Daisley and Stone were both fired, the latter being replaced by keyboardist Don Airey. At first the band auditioned bass players, but at Cozy Powell’s suggestion Blackmore hired then-former Deep Purple member Roger Glover as a producer, bassist and lyricist.[27] The first album from the new line-up, Down to Earth, featured the band’s first major singles chart successes, “All Night Long” and the Russ Ballard-penned “Since You Been Gone”. In 1980, the band headlined the inaugural ‘Monsters of Rock’ festival at Castle Donington in England. However, this was Powell’s last Rainbow gig, as he had already given his notice to quit, disliking Blackmore’s increasingly pop rock direction. Bonnet resigned to pursue a solo project, culminating in the album Line Up, featuring a number of contemporary hard rock alumni, including Jon Lord, former band mate Cozy Powell and Micky Moody of Whitesnake. The album yielded a UK top ten hit “Night Games”. Bonnet’s considerable vocal prowess did not go unnoticed and has since enjoyed variable degrees of success with MSG and Alcatrazz, among others,
Joe Lynn Turner in 2008.

For the next album, Bonnet and Powell were replaced by Americans Joe Lynn Turner and Bobby Rondinelli, respectively. The title track from the album, Difficult to Cure, was a version of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony. The album spawned their most successful UK single, “I Surrender” (another Ballard song), which reached No.3. It also contained the guitar piece, “Maybe Next Time”. After the supporting tour, Don Airey quit over musical direction and was replaced on keyboards by David Rosenthal.

The band attained significant airplay on Album-oriented rock radio stations in the US with the track “Jealous Lover”, reaching No. 13 on Billboard Magazine’s Rock Tracks chart, which tracked AOR airplay. Originally issued as the B-side to “Can’t Happen Here”, “Jealous Lover” subsequently became the title track to an EP issued in the US that featured very similar cover art to “Difficult to Cure”.

Rainbow’s next full length studio album was Straight Between the Eyes. The album was more cohesive than Difficult to Cure, and had more success in the United States. The band, however, was alienating some of its earlier fans with its more AOR sound.[1] The single, “Stone Cold”, was a ballad that had some chart success (#1 on Billboard Magazine’s Rock Tracks chart) and the video of which received heavy airplay on MTV. The successful supporting tour skipped the UK completely and focused on the American market. A date in San Antonio, Texas on this tour was filmed, and the resulting “Live Between the Eyes” also received repeated showings on MTV.

Bent Out of Shape saw drummer Rondinelli fired in favour of former Balance drummer Chuck Burgi. The album featured the single “Street of Dreams”. According to Blackmore’s biography on his official web site, the song’s video was banned by MTV for its supposedly controversial hypnotic video clip.[28] However, Dr. Thomas Radecki of the National Coalition on Television Violence criticised MTV for airing the video, which would contradict Blackmore’s claim.[29] The resulting tour saw Rainbow return to the UK, and also to Japan in March 1984 where the band performed “Difficult to Cure” with a full orchestra. The concert was also filmed.
Dissolution and temporary revival (1993-97)
Doogie White in 2009.

In 1993 Blackmore left Deep Purple permanently due to “creative differences” with other members, and reformed Rainbow with all-new members featuring Scottish singer Doogie White. The band released Stranger in Us All in 1995, and embarked on a lengthy world tour.

The tour proved very successful, and a show in Germany was professionally filmed for the Rockpalast TV show. This show, initially heavily bootlegged (and considered by many collectors to be the best Rainbow bootleg of the era), was officially released by Eagle Records on CD and DVD as Black Masquerade in 2013.[30] The live shows featured frequent changes in set lists, and musical improvisations that proved popular with bootleggers and many shows are still traded over a decade later.

However, Blackmore turned his attention to his long-time musical passion, Renaissance and medieval music. Rainbow was put on hold once again after playing its final concert in Esbjerg, Denmark in 1997. Blackmore, together with his partner Candice Night as vocalist then formed the Renaissance-influenced Blackmore’s Night. Around the same time as production of Stranger in Us All (1995), they were already gearing up their debut album Shadow of the Moon (1997).[31]
Rainbow songs after 1997

Many Rainbow songs have been performed live by former members of the band since the group’s split in 1984 and then in 1997, particularly former frontmen, Ronnie James Dio, Graham Bonnet and Joe Lynn Turner in recent years. Also, Don Airey often plays 1979-1981 era songs during his solo shows. Blackmore’s Night occasionally performs one or two Rainbow songs live, namely “Ariel”, “Rainbow Eyes” and “Street of Dreams”. The latter two were also re-recorded by Blackmore’s Night in studio.

In 2002–2004 the Hughes Turner Project played a number of Rainbow songs at their concerts. On 9 August 2007 Joe Lynn Turner and Graham Bonnet played a tribute to Rainbow show in Helsinki, Finland. The concert consisted of songs from the 1979-1983 era.

On 4 August 2006 at Geijyutsu-Gekijyo Metropolitan Art Space in Tokyo, Japan, a special symphonic tribute to Rainbow was performed by the New Japan Philharmonic featuring Joe Lynn Turner. The concert featured classic Rainbow songs as well as some never played before fan favourities, such as instrumentals “Weiss Heim” and “Maybe Next Time”.

Rainbow fans would be also interested in the White Noise DVD (featuring former Rainbow singer Doogie White) titled “In The Hall Of The Mountain King” (recorded in 2004 and released in 2005). It is the only release by the band White Noise. This was a DVD filmed on their support stint with progressive rock band Uriah Heep. The show consisted of mostly Rainbow songs from their 1995 album Stranger in Us All but featured arrangements of other songs including Mostly Autumn’s ‘Never the Rainbow’.

In 2009, Joe Lynn Turner, Bobby Rondinelli, Greg Smith and Tony Carey created the touring tribute band Over The Rainbow with Jürgen Blackmore (Ritchie’s son) as the guitarist. Over The Rainbow performed songs from every era of the band’s history. After the first tour Tony Carey had to leave the band due to health concerns. OTR then continued with another former Rainbow member, Paul Morris, on keyboards, and conducted tours in the USA, Europe, and Russia, respectively; including a show at ‘Sweden Rocks’.
Band members

Theodore Anthony “Ted” Nugent (/tɛd ˈnuːdʒɨnt/; born December 13, 1948) is an American rock musician from Detroit, Michigan. Nugent initially gained fame as the lead guitarist of The Amboy Dukes before embarking on a solo career. His hits, mostly coming in the 1970s, such as “Stranglehold”, “Cat Scratch Fever”, “Wango Tango”, and “Great White Buffalo”, as well as his 1960s Amboy Dukes hit “Journey to the Center of the Mind” remain popular today.

Nugent is also noted for his staunch conservative political views and his strong advocacy of hunting and gun ownership rights.[1][2] He is a board member of the National Rifle Association and a strong supporter of the Republican Party.
Nugent was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan, the son of Marion Dorothy (née Johnson) and Warren Henry Nugent.[3][4] Nugent’s father was an Army staff sergeant, and he was raised in a very strict household.[5] He moved to Palatine, Illinois, as a teenager, and has two brothers: John and Jeffrey, and a sister, Kathy. Raised Catholic, Nugent has mentioned his ties with the Christian faith many times during interviews, and has stated that he regularly attends church. He attended St. Viator High School in Arlington Heights, Illinois and William Fremd High School in Palatine, Illinois.
Career

Nugent has released more than 34 albums and has sold a career total of 30 million records. He was known throughout his early career in the 1970s for using Fender amps, a large part of his signature sound, and for playing the hollow-body Gibson Byrdland guitar.
Nugent in concert with his signature Gibson Byrdland guitar

Performing since 1958,[6] Nugent has been touring annually since 1967, averaging more than 300 shows per year (1967–73), 200 per year (1974–80), 150 (1981–89), 127 concerts in 1990, 162 concerts in 1991, 150 concerts in 1993, 180 in 1994, 166 in 1995, 81 in 1996, Summer Blitz ’97, ’98, Rock Never Stops ’99, 133 concerts with KISS 2K. Nugent’s 2005 plans involved a tour with country music singer-songwriter Toby Keith, whom Nugent met in Iraq while they were both performing in USO-sponsored shows for the coalition troops.[citation needed] Nugent toured with local Detroit musician Alex Winston during the summers of 2007 and 2008.[7]

On July 4, 2008, at the DTE Energy Music Theater in Clarkston, Michigan, Ted Nugent played his 6,000th concert.[6] Derek St. Holmes (original singer for the Ted Nugent band), Johnny Bee Badanjek (drummer for Mitch Ryder and The Detroit Wheels), and Nugent’s guitar teacher from 1958 Joe Podorsek all jammed on stage with Nugent for various tunes.
Amboy Dukes

His first edition of The Amboy Dukes played at The Cellar, a teen dance club outside of Chicago in Arlington Heights, Illinois, starting in late 1965, while Nugent was a student at St. Viator High School. The Cellar’s “house band” at the time had been the Shadows of Knight, although the Amboy Dukes eventually became a staple until the club’s closing.[8]

The Amboy Dukes’ second single was “Journey to the Center of the Mind”, which featured lyrics written by the Dukes’ second guitarist Steve Farmer. Nugent, an ardent anti-drug campaigner, has always claimed that he had no idea that this song was about drug use.[9] The Amboy Dukes (1967), Journey to the Center of the Mind (1968) and Migration (1969) — all recorded on the Mainstream label — sold moderately well. On April 5, 1968, Nugent along with a group of musicians paid tribute to Martin Luther King by having a folk, rock and blues jam session. Joni Mitchell played first, followed by Buddy Guy and Jimi Hendrix. Other musicians who participated were BB King and Al Kooper.[10]

After settling down on a ranch in Michigan in 1973, Nugent signed a record deal with Frank Zappa’s DiscReet Records label and recorded Call of the Wild. The following year, Tooth Fang & Claw (which contained the song “Great White Buffalo”, arranged with Rob Grange) established a fan base for Nugent and the other Amboy Dukes. Personnel changes nearly wrecked the band, which became known as Ted Nugent & the Amboy Dukes. Nugent reunited with the other members of the Amboy Dukes at the 2009 Detroit Music Awards, which took place April 17, 2009. The psychedelic band received a distinguished achievement honor at the event. The Dukes also played together at the ceremony, marking their first public performance in more than 30 years.[9]
Solo career
See also: Ted Nugent discography

Nugent dropped the Amboy Dukes band name for good in 1975, and signed to Epic Records. Derek St. Holmes (guitar, vocals), Rob Grange (bass) and Clifford Davies (drums) were the primary additional band members for his 1970s multi-platinum[11] albums: Ted Nugent (1975), Free-for-All (1976) and Cat Scratch Fever (1977). These albums produced the popular radio anthems “Hey Baby”, “Stranglehold”, “Dog Eat Dog”, and “Cat Scratch Fever”. It was during these three years that Nugent emerged as a guitar hero to hard rock fans, many of whom were unaware of his lengthy apprenticeship with the Amboy Dukes.[12] This band lineup toured extensively, also releasing the multi-platinum live album Double Live Gonzo!, until its breakup in 1978 when St. Holmes and Grange departed. St. Holmes was replaced by Charlie Huhn and Grange by Dave Kiswiney. Davies left around 1982 after staying on to record Weekend Warriors (1978), State of Shock (1979), Scream Dream (1980) and Intensities in 10 Cities (1981).

On July 8, 1979, Ted was on the rock radio program King Biscuit Flower Hour. This was the original broadcast of Ted’s performance of Live at Hammersmith ’79 which had been recorded during the second set of a night at London’s Hammersmith Odeon in 1979. An album of this program was released in 1997.

During this era, Nugent was notable for his declarations that he did not drink alcoholic beverages or smoke tobacco or marijuana. In an interview for VH1’s Behind The Music, Nugent said this was due to his father’s having reprimanded him when he came home smelling of alcohol after a night of drinking. Nugent has been cited as an influence on the straight edge movement, which disavows drinking and recreational drug use.[13]
Influences

During the period of 1982–89, Nugent released a series of moderately successful solo albums. In 1989, he joined the supergroup Damn Yankees, with Jack Blades (bass/vocals, formerly of Night Ranger), Tommy Shaw (guitar/vocals, formerly of Styx) and Michael Cartellone (drums). Damn Yankees (1990) was a hit, going multi-platinum in the U.S., thanks in no small part to the smash hit power ballad “High Enough”. The video for this song featured Nugent in a priest’s collar, and later in a zebra-striped cape during the guitar solo. It also saw the first appearance of his ‘WhackMaster’ hat.
Back to solo

Returning to a solo career, Nugent released Spirit of the Wild in 1995, his best-reviewed album in quite some time. The album also marked the return of Derek St. Holmes to Nugent’s studio band. A series of archival releases also came out in the 1990s, keeping Nugent’s name in the national consciousness. He also began hosting a radio show in Detroit on WWBR-FM (“102.7 The Bear, Detroit’s Rock Animal”) and took ownership in several hunting-related businesses. He created TV shows for several networks; Wanted: Ted or Alive on Versus, Ted Nugent Spirit of the Wild on PBS and The Outdoor Channel, as well as Surviving Nugent and Supergroup-Damnocracy on VH1.

Ted Nugent appears on David Crowder Band’s 2007 release, Remedy, playing guitar on the song “We Won’t Be Quiet”.[14] He announced his “Trample the Weak, Hurdle the Dead” tour on April 21, 2010.[15]

On March 14, 2011, Nugent released a new song, “I Still Believe”, as a free download via his website to subscribers to his news letter. Nugent says of the song: “America is a target-rich environment for an independent man addicted to logic, truth and The American Way. ‘I Still Believe’ throttles the animal spirit of rugged individualism in pure MotorCity ultra high-energy rhythm and blues and rock and roll.”[16][17] In April 2011 Nugent announced that former frontman Derek St. Holmes would be joining his band for Nugent’s I Still Believe Tour.[18]

In July 2014 Nugent had several shows cancelled by Native American owned casinos, citing “Nugent’s history of racist and hate-filled remarks”.[19]
Media appearances
Reality programming

Nugent starred in his own outdoors television show named after his popular song “Spirit of the Wild”. The song was the theme music to the TV series in which Nugent took viewers on a variety of wild game hunts using his bow. In the series he teaches and advises hunters and “hands-on” conservationists around the world on the different aspects of hunting and politics, and informs the public on the importance of getting children away from the TV and video games and getting them out beyond the pavement in order to better their lives.[20]

In 2003, he was host of the VH1 reality television program Surviving Nugent in which city dwellers such as model Tila Tequila moved to Nugent’s Michigan ranch in order to survive such “backwoods” activities as building an outhouse and skinning a boar. The success of the two-hour show spawned a four-part miniseries in 2004 entitled Surviving Nugent: The Ted Commandments. This time it was filmed on Nugent’s ranch in China Spring, Texas. During filming, Nugent injured himself with a chainsaw, requiring 44 stitches and a leg brace.

In 2003, Nugent also guested on the VH1 program Forever Wild, hosted by Sebastian Bach (former lead vocalist for the band Skid Row). They shot some firearms and walked around Nugent’s cabin in the woods. Two years later he hosted a reality-type show, Wanted: Ted or Alive on OLN (now the NBC Sports Network) where contestants competed for money as well as for opportunities to go hunting with “Uncle Ted.” The contestants had to kill and clean their own food to survive.

In 2006, he appeared on VH1’s reality show SuperGroup, with Scott Ian (Anthrax, guitar), Evan Seinfeld (Biohazard, bass), Sebastian Bach (ex-Skid Row, vocals) and Jason Bonham (Bonham, UFO, Foreigner, drums). The name of the supergroup was originally FIST but later was changed to Damnocracy. Bach had lobbied for the name Savage Animal. Captured on film by VH1 was a rare Nugent duet with guitarist Joe Bonamassa at the Sand Dollar Blues Room for a 45-minute blues jam. He starred in another reality show for CMT in August 2009. The show, entitled Runnin’ Wild … From Ted Nugent, featured Nugent instructing competitors in the art of survival; the competitors had to use those skills in challenges in which they were hunted down by Nugent.[21]

In 2008, Ted Nugent was on the episode Southwest Road Trip Special of Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations, where he spoke against obesity and public health care.[22][23]

Also in 2009, he played guitar at The Alamo for a Tax Day Tea Party hosted by Glenn Beck and Fox News. Most notable in his set was a version of “The Star-Spangled Banner” in which he used alternate picking and whammy bar effects. The clip and sound bite of this is played extensively on Fox News as well as on The Glenn Beck Program.
Acting

In 1976 Nugent was in the documentary Demon Lover Diary, about the making of the John Dods’ horror/comedy movie My Demon Lover. He is shown supplying real guns for the making of My Demon Lover, as the crew films at Nugent’s house.

In 1986, he guest starred in an episode of the hit television show Miami Vice entitled “Definitely Miami”. Nugent played a villain. His song “Angry Young Man” was featured in the episode. His song “Little Miss Dangerous” was also featured on a Miami Vice episode of the same name, although he did not appear in the episode.

In 2001, Nugent appeared as himself in a third season episode of That ’70s Show entitled “Backstage Pass”. Donna Pinciotti (Laura Prepon), who works for radio station WFPP, obtains tickets to the upcoming Ted Nugent concert for the entire gang. Following the concert, her boss Max (Howard Hesseman) gives Donna a backstage pass to meet Nugent, where he volunteers to sit for an interview. Meanwhile, Steven Hyde (Danny Masterson) and Fez (Wilmer Valderrama) try to sell unauthorized concert t-shirts accidentally spelled Tad Nugent.

Also in 2001, Nugent appeared as himself in the second episode of the short-lived university campus FOX comedy series, Undeclared. In the episode “Full Bluntal Nugety”, Nugent is a guest at the university, there to speak on his favorite topics, mainly hunting and gun control. This is where new student Steven Karp (Jay Baruchel) takes his love interest Lizzie (Carla Gallo) on their first date. Karp tries to heckle Nugent during his speech in an attempt to impress Lizzie, with disastrous results. FOX didn’t like the idea of Nugent and his political views appearing on this show, so the episode was re-shot and re-edited as “Oh, So You Have a Boyfriend?” which aired without any Ted Nugent content whatsoever. The complete “Full Bluntal Nugety (Director’s Cut)” episode is available in its entirety, in the Undeclared DVD box set, including some extra Ted Nugent scenes that had been deleted.

He made a guest appearance on the cult television series Aqua Teen Hunger Force, in the episode “Gee Whiz”, on Adult Swim. Locals believe to have seen the face of Jesus in a billboard, and they mention how it looks like Ted Nugent. Throughout the episode they think it’s Jesus’ face, but at the end they discover it was in fact Nugent’s. He proceeds to shoot a flaming explosive arrow at Carl (mistaking him for a “varmint”). Ted also appeared on Seth MacFarlane’s Cavalcade of Cartoon Comedy when he kills the Ghost of Christmas Past and serves him to guests for dinner.

In 2007, Nugent appeared in the music video for Nickelback’s “Rockstar”, and in 2008 he played a key role in the Toby Keith movie Beer For My Horses as the quiet deputy named Skunk.

In 2007, Nugent debated The Simpsons producer Sam Simon on the Howard Stern Show about the ethics of hunting animals. Coincidentally, Nugent would later lend his voice to an over-the-phone appearance in the season 19 episode of The Simpsons, “I Don’t Wanna Know Why the Caged Bird Sings”, where, in a humorous jab at his political stance, inmate Dwight picks up his call for voting no to the fictional Proposition 87, which bans crossbows in public schools. As part of his pre-recorded message, Nugent asks “If we outlaw crossbows in our public schools, who’s going to protect our children from charging elk?”.[24]

In 2012, Nugent again appeared as himself on The Simpsons, on the January 8th Episode “Politically Inept, with Homer Simpson,” where he is nominated as a Presidential candidate for the Republican Party.
Other media appearances

Attracting attention for his outspoken statements on issues ranging from guns to biodiversity, Nugent has been a regular guest on such programs as Larry King Live, The Howard Stern Show, and Politically Incorrect.

In 1978 Ted Nugent appeared on the Midnight Special as host and a performer. Season 7, Episode 8, Aired Nov 24, 1978

In 1980 Ted Nugent appeared on Fridays as the musical guest. He performed “Paralyzed” and “Scream Dream”‘ Oct. 24, 1980.

He also appeared on Chicago Radio personality, Jonathon Brandmeir’s, short lived talk show, “Johnny B. on the Loose”.

In 1991, he guest-starred on the PBS science show Newton’s Apple in a short comedic feature called Science of the Rich and Famous in which he demonstrates and explains the phenomenon of electric guitar feedback. On March 13, 2007, Nugent was interviewed on ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live! and performed the songs “Cat Scratch Fever” and “Rawdogs and Warhogs”.

On April 15, 2009, Nugent appeared onstage with his guitar in San Antonio as part of Glenn Beck’s coverage of the Tax Day Tea Party protests on the Fox News Channel. He hosted the show with Glenn Beck, and played music for the protestors at the Alamo.

He made an appearance in Guitar Hero World Tour. As part of the solo guitar career, the player engages in a guitar duel with Nugent, after which the song “Stranglehold” is unlocked and Ted becomes available as a playable character.

Nugent was interviewed on the The Alex Jones Show July 30, 2008 about his new book “Ted, White, and Blue: The Nugent Manifesto” (2008).[25][26] On July 9, 2010 Ted was again interviewed by Alex Jones and he criticized the latest policies issued by the Obama Administration and the Supreme Court concerning gun policy. He claimed that rejecting the idea of the right to self-defense being expressed in the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution, which Nugent called “gun control” policies, are most likely to destroy the American society. Nugent also claimed similar policies were the cause of the downfall of every society in human history.[27]

Nugent appeared on the Penn and Teller: Bullshit! episode on P.E.T.A.

Nugent was portrayed on the January 8, 2012 episode of The Simpsons entitled “Politically Inept, with Homer Simpson”.
Personal life

In the late 1990s, Nugent began writing for various magazines. He has written for more than 20 publications and is the author of New York Times Best Seller God, Guns and Rock ‘n’ Roll (July 2000), Kill It and Grill It (2002) (co-authored with his wife, Shemane), BloodTrails II: The Truth About Bowhunting (2004), and “Ted, White, and Blue: The Nugent Manifesto” (2008).

In 1996 Nugent joined the WWBR-FM air staff. The Ted Nugent Morning Show on 102.7 FM in Detroit was a success. He and co-host Steve Black (now host of the syndicated radio show Chop Shop and Chop Shop Classic) often shocked Detroit with their opinions.

Nugent is a fan of the Detroit Pistons. He wore a Pistons shirt in the Damn Yankees music video for “Come Again”. He is also a fan of the Dallas Cowboys and attends many games with his children and grandchildren.

In a 1977 High Times article, Nugent stated that he took crystal meth and defecated in his pants in order to avoid being drafted into the Vietnam War.[28] Nugent reaffirmed this in a 1990 interview with Detroit Free Press, stating that “…a week before his physical, he stopped using the bathroom altogether, virtually living inside his pants caked with excrement and urine.” [29] In other interviews, Nugent has denied this claim, stating that he dodged the draft by enrolling at Oakland Community College to get a student deferment. However, his Selective Service classification record shows ratings of 1-Y and 4-F for 1969 and 1972 respectively, indicating ineligibility for military service under established physical, mental, or moral standards, rather than student deferment.[30]
Family

Nugent has had been married twice and has eight children. In the late 1960s, prior to his first marriage, Nugent fathered a boy, Ted (Mann) and a girl, whom he gave up for adoption in infancy. This did not become public knowledge until 2010. The siblings were adopted separately and had no contact with one another. The son learned the identity of his birth father in 2010 through the daughter’s quest to make contact with him and their birth parents. According to a news report, Nugent over the years had discussed the existence of these children with his other children.[31]

He was married to his first wife, Sandra Jezowski, from 1970 to 1979. They had two children, son Theodore Tobias “Toby” Nugent and daughter Sasha Nugent. Sandra died in a car crash in 1982.

In 1978, Nugent began a relationship with seventeen-year-old Hawaii native Pele Massa. Due to the age difference they could not marry so Nugent joined Massa’s parents in signing documents to make himself her legal guardian, an arrangement that Spin magazine ranked in October 2000 as #63 on their list of the “100 Sleaziest Moments in Rock”.[32][33]

His second marriage was to Shemane Deziel, whom he met while a guest on Detroit’s WLLZ-FM, where she was a member of the news staff. They married on January 21, 1989. Together they have one child, son Rocco Winchester Nugent.

In 2005 Nugent was involved in a child-support lawsuit concerning a child he had with Karen Gutowski in 1995.[34] It was resolved, with Nugent being ordered to pay $3,500 per month in child support.[35]
Hearing loss

Nugent also suffers from severe hearing loss. A November 2005 Rolling Stone article noted Nugent, among others, has publicly acknowledged hearing problems.[citation needed] “The ear’s not too good, especially with background noise”, he said in a 2007 interview. “[But] that’s a small price to pay. Believe me the journey was worth it.”[36]

Peter Kenneth Frampton (born 22 April 1950) is an English rock musician, singer, songwriter, producer, guitarist and multi-instrumentalist. He was previously associated with the bands Humble Pie and The Herd. Frampton’s international breakthrough album was his live release, Frampton Comes Alive!. The album sold more than six million copies in the United States alone and spawned several hits. Since then he has released several major albums.[2] He has also worked with David Bowie and both Matt Cameron and Mike McCready from Pearl Jam, among others. Frampton is best known for such hits as “Breaking All The Rules”, “Show Me the Way”, “Baby, I Love Your Way”, “Do You Feel Like We Do”, and “I’m in You”, which remain staples on classic-rock radio. He has also appeared as himself in television shows such as The Simpsons and Family Guy. Frampton is known for his work as a guitar player and particularly with a Talkbox and his tenor voice.
Frampton was born in Bromley, UK. He attended Bromley Technical High School,[3] at which his father, Owen Frampton, was a teacher and the head of the Art department.[4] He first became interested in music when he was seven years old. Upon discovering his grandmother’s banjolele (a banjo-shaped ukulele) in the attic,[5] he taught himself to play, and later taught himself to play guitar and piano as well. At age eight he started taking classical music lessons.[6][7]

Early influences were Cliff Richard & the Shadows (featuring guitarist Hank Marvin) and American rockers Buddy Holly and Eddie Cochran, and then the Ventures, Jimi Hendrix, and The Beatles. His father introduced him to the recordings of Belgian gypsy jazz guitarist Django Reinhardt.[5][8]
Music career
Early bands

By the age of 12, Frampton played in a band called The Little Ravens. Both he and David Bowie, who is three years older, were pupils at Bromley Technical School. The Little Ravens played on the same bill at school as Bowie’s band, George and the Dragons.[6] Peter and David would spend time together at lunch breaks, playing Buddy Holly songs.[6][9]

At the age of 14, Peter was playing with a band called The Trubeats followed by a band called The Preachers, produced and managed by Bill Wyman of The Rolling Stones.[6]

He became a successful child singer, and in 1966 he became a member of The Herd. He was the lead guitarist and singer, scoring several British pop hits. Frampton was named “The Face of 1968” by teen magazine Rave.[6][8][10]

In early 1969, when Frampton was 18 years old, he joined with Steve Marriott of The Small Faces to form Humble Pie.[6][10]

While playing with Humble Pie, Frampton also did session recording with other artists, including: Harry Nilsson, Jim Price, Jerry Lee Lewis, as well as on George Harrison’s solo All Things Must Pass, in 1970, and John Entwistle’s Whistle Rymes, in 1972.[10] During the Harrison session he was introduced to the “talk box” that was to become one of his trademark guitar effects.[11][12][13]
Solo career

After four studio albums and one live album with Humble Pie, Frampton left the band and went solo in 1971, just in time to see Rockin’ The Fillmore rise up the US charts.[6] He remained with Dee Anthony, the same personal manager that Humble Pie had used.[14]

His own debut was 1972’s Wind of Change, with guest artists Ringo Starr and Billy Preston.[8][10] This album was followed by Frampton’s Camel in 1973, which featured Frampton working within a group project. In 1974, Frampton released Somethin’s Happening. Frampton toured extensively to support his solo career, joined for three years by his former Herd mate Andy Bown on keyboards, Rick Wills on Bass, and American drummer John Siomos. In 1975, the Frampton album was released. The album went to No. 32 in the US charts, and is certified Gold by the RIAA.[6]

Peter Frampton had little commercial success with his early albums. This changed with Frampton’s breakthrough best-selling live album, Frampton Comes Alive!, in 1976, from which “Baby, I Love Your Way”, “Show Me the Way”, and an edited version of “Do You Feel Like We Do”, were hit singles. The latter two tracks also featured his use of the talk box guitar effect. The album was recorded in 1975, mainly at the Winterland Ballroom in San Francisco, California, where Humble Pie had previously enjoyed a good following. Frampton had a new line-up, with Americans Bob Mayo on keyboards and rhythm guitar and Stanley Sheldon on bass. Wills had been sacked by Frampton at the end of 1974, and Bown had left on the eve of Frampton Comes Alive, to return to England and new fame with Status Quo. Frampton Comes Alive was released in early January, debuting on the charts on 14 February at number 191. The album was on the Billboard 200 for 97 weeks, of which 55 were in the top 40, of which 10 were at the top. The album beat, among others, Fleetwood Mac’s Fleetwood Mac to become the top selling album of 1976, and it was also the 14th best seller of 1977. With sales of six million copies it became the biggest selling live album, although with others subsequently selling more it is now the fourth biggest. Frampton Comes Alive! has been certified as six times platinum.[7][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22]

The success of Frampton Comes Alive! put him on the cover of Rolling Stone, in a famous shirtless photo by Francesco Scavullo.[23] Frampton later said he regrets the photo because it changed his image as a credible artist into a teen idol.[24]

In late 1976 he and manager Dee Anthony visited the White House at the invitation of Steven Ford, the president’s son.[25] – Rolling Stone.
Setbacks

Frampton starred, with the Bee Gees, in producer Robert Stigwood’s poorly received film Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. Frampton’s career seemed to be falling as quickly as it had risen.[6][8]

His following album, I’m in You (1977) contained the hit title single and went platinum, but fell well short of expectations compared to Frampton Comes Alive!.[6]

Frampton suffered a near-fatal car accident in the Bahamas in 1978 that marked the end of his prolific period and the beginning of a long fallow period where he was less than his old self. He returned to the studio in 1979 to record the album Where I Should Be. Among those contributing to the album were past band members Stanley Sheldon (bass), Bob Mayo (keyboards/guitar/vocals), Chad Cromwell (drums), and John Siomos (drums/vocals).[6][7]

In 1980 his album Rise Up was released to promote his tour in Brazil, although he suffered another serious setback that year when all his guitars were destroyed in a cargo plane crash that killed three people. Among the instruments he lost was the treasured black Les Paul Custom (pictured on the cover of Frampton Comes Alive) given to him by Mark Mariana and first used on the night of the recording of the Humble Pie live album Performance, and which he had used all through his early solo career.[26] The guitar was recovered and returned to him in December 2011.[27] The album eventually turned into Breaking All the Rules, released the next year in 1981. These albums were the first he recorded almost completely live.[28] In 1982 Frampton tried unsuccessfully to split his ties with A&M Records; he, however, re-signed with the label in 2006 and released his Grammy Award-winning Fingerprints.[29]
Return

Although his albums generally met with little commercial success, Frampton continued to record throughout the 1980s. He did, however, achieve a brief, moderate comeback of sorts in 1986 with the release of his Premonition album, and the single “Lying,” which became a big hit on the Mainstream Rock charts. Most notably, he also united with old friend David Bowie, and both worked together to make albums. Frampton played on Bowie’s 1987 album Never Let Me Down and sang and played on the accompanying Glass Spider Tour.[7][8][28] Frampton would, in 2013, credit his participation in this tour for helping revive his career.[30]

Looking for that band experience again after touring with Bowie, Frampton kept referencing Steve Marriott, and at the beginning of 1991 rejoined his old Humble Pie mate for some shows (Marriott’s last English gigs) at the Half Moon in Putney, London. The chemistry was still there for a while, as both Frampton and Marriott laid down some tracks in L.A. and prepared to do a “Frampton-Marriott” tour. However, Marriott abruptly returned to England in April and he died in a house fire less than 24 hours after his return. Broken up by Marriott’s death, Frampton went off the road for a time, then reformed his old touring band with his old friends Mayo and John Regan (at least three songs, and possibly a fourth from the ended Marriott-Frampton partnership were subsequently recorded; two ending up on Frampton’s “Shine On” compilation, a third on his subsequent solo album.

In the late 1990s he starred in an infomercial plugging the internationally successful eMedia Guitar Method, a piece of instructional software represented as an alternative to taking actual guitar lessons. He claimed in the infomercial that the software was the best way to learn guitar.[31]

In 1994 Frampton wrote and released the album Peter Frampton, the final version of which contained material recorded on Tascam cassette recorders. Originally released on the Relativity label, this record was re-released in 2000 by Legacy Records, with four bonus tracks and additional notes by Peter.

In 1995 Frampton released Frampton Comes Alive! II, which contained live versions of many of the songs from his 1980s and 1990s solo albums. Frampton Comes Alive! II was accompanied by a video release on DVD, recorded at The Fillmore Theatre on 15 June 1995. Although there was a large amount of marketing for the album, it did not sell well.[31] After Frampton Comes Alive! II, he recorded and toured with Bill Wyman’s Rhythm Kings and Ringo Starr’s All-Starr Band,[7] where he and Jack Bruce performed a cover version of Cream’s “Sunshine of Your Love”.
Frampton performing in September 2006

In 2003, Frampton released the album Now, and embarked on a tour with Styx to support it. It was on this tour in 2004 he lost good friend and long time bandmate Bob Mayo. He also toured with The Elms, and even appeared in 2006 on the Fox Broadcasting variety show Celebrity Duets, paired with Chris Jericho of WWE fame. They were the first pair voted out.

On 12 September 2006 Frampton released an instrumental work titled Fingerprints. His band consisted of drummer Shawn Fichter, guitarist Audley Freed, bassist John Regan (Frampton’s lifelong best friend,[5]), and keyboardist/guitarist Rob Arthur, and guest artists such as members of Pearl Jam, Hank Marvin, and his bassist on Frampton Comes Alive!, Stanley Sheldon – the only member of the backing band on that album still alive.
Recent events

On 11 February 2007 Fingerprints was awarded the 2007 Grammy Award for Best Pop Instrumental Album. In February 2007, he also appeared on the Chicago based PBS television show Soundstage.

Frampton released his 14th studio album, Thank You Mr. Churchill, on 27 April 2010.[32] In summer 2010 he began touring North America with the English band Yes; the two acts had played stadium shows on a bill together in 1976. His 2010 band consisted of Rob Arthur (keyboards, guitar, backing vocals), John Regan (bass), Adam Lester (guitar), and Dan Wojciechowski (drums).

He embarked on a UK Tour in March 2011 in support of his new album, visiting Leamington Spa, Glasgow, Manchester, London and Bristol.

Frampton went on tour in 2011 with The Frampton Comes Alive 35th Anniversary Tour that showcased and followed exactly the songs on the play list for the original tour from 1976, recorded for the famous Frampton Comes Alive! The concerts each night started with the prerecorded thump of a microphone being turned on, familiar to many fans of the album, followed by the recorded voice of Jerry Pompili saying, “If there was ever a musician that was an honorary member of San Francisco society, Mr. Peter Frampton”…and then the crowd goes wild. He played the album song for song for 69 locations between 15 June 2011, and 22 October 2011, throughout the US

On 11 June 2011, Frampton performed a live set for “Guitar Center Sessions” on DirecTV. The episode included an interview with program host, Nic Harcourt.[33]

In 2013 he performed throughout North America as part of the “Frampton’s Guitar Circus” tour which featured periodic guest performers including B.B. King, Robert Cray, Don Felder, Rick Derringer, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Steve Lukather, Sonny Landreth, David Hidalgo Mike McCready, Roger McGuinn and Vinnie Moore.[34][35] He will tour Europe beginning in October 2013 along with Deep Purple.[35]

On 9 February 2014, Frampton was one of several musicians to participate in The Night That Changed America: A Grammy Salute to The Beatles tribute to The Beatles on the 50th anniversary of their first appearance on American television.

On 23 June 2014 Frampton released a new album entitled “Hummingbird in a Box.”[36]
Media appearances

In 1974, Frampton appeared in the movie The Son of Dracula as a guitarist in The Count Downes

In 1978, Frampton portrayed the character Peter Buckley in an episode of Baa Baa Black Sheep titled “A Little Bit of England.”

In 1978, Frampton played Billy Shears in the movie Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band starring along with the three brothers Gibb of the band the Bee Gees.[37] The movie was inspired by The Beatles album of the same name. Critics were hostile, and the film was a box-office failure.

In 1988, Frampton appeared in the video release of David Bowie’s Glass Spider tour.

In 1996, Frampton appeared in an episode of The Simpsons entitled “Homerpalooza”, in which he played “Do You Feel Like We Do”. He also made a TV appearance in the Family Guy episode “Death Lives”, in which Peter Griffin asks Death to bring Peter Frampton to play “Baby, I Love Your Way” to his wife.

In 1999, Frampton appeared in “Blues Brothers 2000” as a member of a competing blues band.

Also in 2000, Frampton served as a technical advisor for Cameron Crowe’s autobiographical film Almost Famous and also was the guitar instructor for Billy Crudup, who starred in the film as Russell Hammond, the guitarist for the fictitious band “Stillwater.” Crudup is quoted as saying, “Who could ask for a better tutor than Peter Frampton?” As an inside joke, he also appears briefly in the film as “Reg,” a road manager for Humble Pie, Frampton’s real-life former band.[8]

On 20 December 2006, Frampton appeared on The Colbert Report. Stephen Colbert had a fake feud with The Decemberists to be decided by a guitar shred-down. When Colbert faked an injury, Colbert called on Father Christmas to supply a guitar hero, at which point Frampton appeared and won the shred-down.

Frampton has made an appearance in a television commercial as well. He played a supporting role in a GEICO commercial, where he performed a small portion of “Do You Feel Like We Do”.

On 23 April 2010, Peter Frampton became the all-time celebrity champion of the trivia game called No Apparent Reason, with five correctly answered questions on the nationally syndicated Mark and Brian Radio Program originating from KLOS Los Angeles. However, on 5 May 2010, Frampton was reduced to second place after only two short weeks by Luke Perry’s answering six questions correctly.

On 4 November 2010, Frampton appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show as one of her favourite musicians.

On 21 October 2011, Frampton was honoured at Music City’s at Walk of Fame Park in Nashville, Tennessee.[38]

In 2012, Frampton appeared as himself in a Buick Verano commercial.

On 22 July 2012, Frampton appeared on a segment on CBS Sunday Morning.
Personal life

Frampton has been married three times and has three children. His first marriage was to Mary Lovett (1972–1976). In June 1978, Frampton was involved in a near fatal car accident in the Bahamas, suffering multiple broken bones, a concussion and muscle damage. Dealing with the pain of the accident contributed to a brief period of drug abuse.[6][7] He later married Barbara Gold (1983–93), with whom he had two children, Jade and Julian. Julian Frampton co-wrote and sang on Frampton’s song “Road to the Sun” from Thank You Mr. Churchill. His third marriage was to Tina Elfers on 13 January 1996, with whom he had a daughter, actress Mia Frampton who starred as Becca Keeler on Make It or Break It, and a step-daughter by the name of Tiffany Wiest.[8] Frampton filed for divorce from Elfers in Los Angeles on 22 June 2011, citing irreconcilable differences.[39]

Frampton has lived in London and the USA, including Westchester County, New York, Los Angeles, and Nashville. He moved to Indian Hill, an eastern suburb of Cincinnati, Ohio, USA in June 2000. This is the birthplace of his ex-wife Tina Elfers and the city in which they were married in 1996. They chose to live there to be closer to Tina’s family.[8] Frampton cites the September 11 attacks as his reason for becoming a U.S. citizen.[40] He currently lives in Nashville, Tennessee.[41]

The Eagles are an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1971 by Glenn Frey, Don Henley, Bernie Leadon and Randy Meisner. With five number-one singles, six Grammy Awards, five American Music Awards and six number one albums, the Eagles were one of the most successful musical acts of the 1970s. At the end of the 20th century, two of their albums, Their Greatest Hits (1971–1975) and Hotel California, were ranked among the 20 best-selling albums in the United States according to the Recording Industry Association of America. Hotel California is ranked 37th in Rolling Stone’s list of “The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time” and the band was ranked number 75 on the magazine’s 2004 list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.[2]

They are one of the world’s best-selling bands of all time, having sold more than 150 million records[3]—100 million in the U.S. alone—including 42 million copies of Their Greatest Hits (1971–1975) and 32 million copies of Hotel California. They are the fifth-highest-selling music act and highest-selling American band in U.S. history. No American band sold more records than the Eagles during the 1970s.

The Eagles released their self-titled debut album in 1972, which spawned three top 40 singles: “Take It Easy,” “Witchy Woman” and “Peaceful Easy Feeling.” Their next album, Desperado (1973), was less successful than the first, reaching only number 41 on the charts; neither of its singles reached the top 40. However, the album contained two of the band’s most popular tracks: “Desperado” and “Tequila Sunrise.” They released On the Border in 1974, adding guitarist Don Felder midway through the recording of the album. The album generated two top 40 singles: “Already Gone” and their first number one, “Best of My Love.”

It was not until 1975’s One of These Nights that the Eagles became arguably America’s biggest band. The album included three top 10 singles: “One of These Nights,” “Lyin’ Eyes” and “Take It to the Limit,” the first hitting the top of the charts. They continued that success and hit their commercial peak in late 1976 with the release of Hotel California, which would go on to sell over 16 million copies in the U.S. alone and over 32 million copies worldwide. The album yielded two number-one singles, “New Kid in Town” and “Hotel California.” They released their last studio album for nearly 28 years in 1979 with The Long Run, which spawned three top 10 singles: “Heartache Tonight,” “The Long Run” and “I Can’t Tell You Why,” the lead single being another chart-topping hit.

The Eagles disbanded in July 1980 but reunited in 1994 for the album Hell Freezes Over, a mix of live and new studio tracks. They have toured intermittently since then and were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998. In 2007, the Eagles released Long Road Out of Eden, their first full studio album in 28 years and their sixth number one album. The next year they launched the Long Road Out of Eden Tour in support of the album. In 2013, they began the extended History of the Eagles Tour in conjunction with the band’s documentary release, History of the Eagles.
Formation and early releases (1971–73)

The Eagles began in early 1971, when Linda Ronstadt and then-manager John Boylan recruited session musicians Glenn Frey and Don Henley.[4] Henley had moved to Los Angeles from Texas with his band Shiloh (produced by Kenny Rogers),[5] and Frey had come from Michigan and formed Longbranch Pennywhistle; they had met in 1970 at The Troubadour in Los Angeles and became acquainted through their mutual record label, Amos Records.[6][7] Randy Meisner, who had been working with Ricky Nelson’s backing band, the Stone Canyon Band, and Bernie Leadon, a veteran of The Flying Burrito Brothers, joined Ronstadt’s group of performers for her summer tour.[4]

The original Eagles played live together only once, backing Ronstadt for a July concert at Disneyland,[4] but all four appeared on her eponymous album.[8] After the gig with Ronstadt, Henley and Frey asked Leadon and Meisner to form a band and they soon signed with Asylum Records, the new label started by David Geffen.[9] The name of the band was first suggested by Leadon during a peyote and tequila-influenced group outing in the Mojave Desert, when he recalled reading about the Hopis’ reverence for the eagle.[10] Steve Martin, a friend of the band from their early days at The Troubadour, recounts in his autobiography that he suggested that they should be referred to as “the Eagles,” but Frey insists that the group’s name is simply “Eagles.”[11] Geffen and partner Elliot Roberts initially managed the band; they were later replaced by Irving Azoff.

The group’s eponymous debut album was recorded in England in February 1972 with producer Glyn Johns.[4] Released on June 26, 1972, Eagles was a breakthrough success, yielding three Top 40 singles. The first single and lead track, “Take It Easy,” was a song written by Frey with his then-neighbor and fellow country-folk rocker Jackson Browne. Browne had written the majority of the song, up until the line “I’m standing on a corner in Winslow, Arizona,” where he got stalled. Frey added the next line (“It’s a girl, my Lord, in a flatbed Ford”) and Browne carried on to finish the song. The song reached number 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 and propelled the Eagles to stardom. The single was followed by the bluesy “Witchy Woman” and the soft country rock ballad “Peaceful Easy Feeling,” charting at number 9 and number 22 respectively. Their second album, Desperado, took Old West outlaws for its theme, drawing comparisons between their lifestyles and modern rock stars. This album was the first to showcase the group’s penchant for conceptual songwriting. It was during these recording sessions Henley and Frey first began writing together. They co-wrote eight of the album’s eleven songs, including “Tequila Sunrise” and “Desperado,” two of the group’s most popular songs. The bluegrass songs “Twenty-One,” “Doolin–Dalton” and the ballad “Saturday Night” showcase guitarist Bernie Leadon’s abilities on the banjo, guitar and mandolin. The story of the notorious Wild West “Doolin–Dalton” gang is the main thematic focus of the album, as seen in the songs “Doolin–Dalton,” “Desperado,” “Certain Kind of Fool,” Outlaw Man” and “Bitter Creek.” The album was less successful than the group’s first, reaching only number 41 on the US Billboard 200 and yielding two singles, “Tequila Sunrise,” which reached number 61 on the Billboard Hot 100 and “Outlaw Man,” which peaked at number 59. With Henley and Frey co-writing the bulk of the album—a pattern that would continue for years to come—the album marked a significant change for the band. The pair also began to dominate in terms of leadership; the early assumption had been that Leadon and Meisner as veteran musicians would have a greater influence on the band.[12]
On the Border and One of These Nights (1974–75)

For their next album, On the Border, Henley and Frey wanted the band to break away from the country rock style and move more towards hard rock. The Eagles initially started with Glyn Johns as the producer for this album, but he tended to emphasize the lush side of their double-edged music. After completing only two songs, the band turned to Bill Szymczyk to produce the rest of the album.[13] Leadon suggested using childhood friend Don Felder, a guitarist who had jammed backstage with the band in 1972 when they opened for Yes in Boston.[14][15] Felder had been nicknamed “Fingers” at the jam by Frey, a name that stuck due to his guitar proficiency.[16] In January 1974, Frey called Felder to add slide guitar to the song “Good Day in Hell” and the band was so impressed that they invited him to join the group as the fifth Eagle the next day.[17][18] He appeared on one other song on the album, the uptempo breakup song “Already Gone,” on which he performed a guitar duet with Frey. On the Border yielded a number 1 Billboard single (“Best of My Love”), which hit the top of the charts on March 1, 1975. The song was the Eagles’ first of five chart toppers. Showcasing the harder edge of the band’s new sound with the addition of Felder, “Already Gone” was also successful, reaching number 32 on the charts. The album included a cover version of the Tom Waits song “Ol’ ’55” and the single “James Dean,” which reached number 77 on the charts.

The band played at the California Jam festival in Ontario, California on April 6, 1974. Attracting over 300,000 fans and billed as “the Woodstock of the West Coast,” the festival featured Black Sabbath, Emerson, Lake & Palmer, Deep Purple, Earth, Wind & Fire, Seals & Crofts, Black Oak Arkansas and Rare Earth.[19] Portions of the show were telecast on ABC Television in the United States, exposing the Eagles to a wider audience. Felder missed the show when he was called away to attend the birth of his son.[20]

The Eagles released their fourth studio album, One of These Nights, on June 10, 1975. A breakthrough album for the Eagles, making them international superstars, it was the first in a string of four consecutive number 1 albums. The dominant songwriting partnership of Henley and Frey continued on this album. The first single was the title track, which became their second consecutive chart topper. Frey has said it is his all-time favorite Eagles tune.[citation needed] The second single was “Lyin’ Eyes,” which reached number 2 on the charts and won the band its first Grammy for “Best Pop Performance by a duo or group with vocal.” The final single was “Take It to the Limit,” written by Meisner, Henley, and Frey, and featuring Meisner on lead vocals. The song reached number 4 on the charts and was the Eagles’ first single to be certified gold. The band launched a huge worldwide tour in support of the album. “One of These Nights” was nominated for a Grammy award for Album of the Year.

It was their last album to feature founding member Bernie Leadon, who left the group in December of that year.[21] Leadon was disillusioned with the direction the band’s music was taking, as their sound was moving from his preferred country to rock and roll.[22] Leadon penned two songs for the album, including “I Wish You Peace,” written with girlfriend Patti Davis (daughter of California governor Ronald Reagan and Nancy Reagan). The instrumental “Journey of the Sorcerer” would later be used as the theme music for the BBC’s radio and television versions of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.

Leadon’s replacement, officially announced on December 20, was guitarist/singer/keyboardist Joe Walsh, who had been a friend of the band for years. He had previously performed with the James Gang, Barnstorm and as a solo artist; he was also managed by Azoff and used Szymczyk as his record producer.[21] There was some initial concern as to Walsh’s ability to fit in with the band, as he was considered too “wild” for the Eagles, especially by Henley.[21] After the departure of Leadon, the Eagles’ early country sound almost completely disappeared, with the band employing a harder sound with the addition of Felder and Walsh.

In early 1976, the band released their first compilation album, Their Greatest Hits 1971–1975. The album became the highest-selling album in U.S. history, with over 29 million copies sold in the U.S. alone and over 42 million copies worldwide. The album cemented the group’s status as the most successful American band of the decade.
Major success with Hotel California (1976–78)

Released on December 8, 1976, Hotel California was the band’s fifth studio album and the first to feature Walsh. The album took a year and a half to complete, a process which, along with touring, drained the band. The album’s first single, “New Kid in Town,” became the Eagles’ third number 1 single.

The second single was the eponymous title track, which topped the charts in May 1977 and became the Eagles’ signature song. It features Henley on lead vocals, with a guitar duet performed by Felder and Walsh. The song was written by Felder, Henley and Frey, with Felder writing all the music. The mysterious lyrics have been interpreted in many ways, some of them controversial. Rumors even started in certain quarters that the song was about Satanism. The rumor was dismissed by the band and later by Henley in the documentary film History of the Eagles. Henley told 60 Minutes in 2007 that “it’s basically a song about the dark underbelly of the American Dream and about excess in America, which was something we knew about.”[23]

With its hard rock sound, “Life in the Fast Lane” was also a major success that established Walsh’s position in the band. The third and final single from Hotel California, it reached number 11 on the charts. The ballad “Wasted Time” closes the first side of the album, while an instrumental reprise of it opens the second side. The album concludes with ‘”The Last Resort,” a song that Frey once referred to as “Henley’s opus,” but which Henley described as “fairly pedestrian” and “never fully realized, musically speaking.”[24]

The run-out groove on side two has the words “V.O.L. Is Five-Piece Live” etched into the vinyl, which means that the instrumental track for the song “Victim of Love” was recorded live in the studio, with no overdubs. Henley confirms this in the liner notes of The Very Best Of. However, the song was a point of contention between Don Felder and the rest of the band. In the 2013 documentary, Felder claimed that he had been promised the lead vocal on “Victim of Love,” for which he had written most of the music. After many unproductive attempts to record Felder’s vocal, band manager Irving Azoff was delegated to take Felder out for a meal, removing him from the mix while Don Henley overdubbed his lead vocal. Joe Walsh said that Felder never forgave them for the snub. Hotel California has appeared on several lists of the best albums of all time,[25] and is the band’s best-selling studio album, with over 16 million copies sold in the U.S. alone and over 32 million copies worldwide.

The album won Grammys for “Record of the year” (“Hotel California”) and “Best arrangement for voices” (“New Kid in Town”). Hotel California topped the charts and was nominated for Album of the Year at the 1978 Grammy Awards, but lost to Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours. The huge worldwide tour in support of the album further drained the band members and strained their personal and creative relationships.

Hotel California is the last album to feature founding member Randy Meisner, who abruptly left the band after the 1977 tour. The Eagles had been touring continuously for eleven months and Meisner was suffering from stomach ulcers and the flu by the time they arrived in Knoxville in July.[26] Frey and Meisner had been continually arguing about Meisner’s willingness to perform his signature song, “Take It To the Limit,” during the tour, as Meisner was struggling to hit the crucial high notes in the song due to his ailments.[27] During the following show, Meisner decided to skip the song due to his flu, but when Frey aggressively demanded that he sing it as an encore the two got into a physical confrontation backstage and Meisner left the venue.[28] Despite pleas from Felder and Walsh, Meisner decided to leave the group after the final date of the tour and returned to Nebraska to be with his family. His last performance was in East Troy, Wisconsin on September 3, 1977.[29] The band replaced Meisner with the same musician who had succeeded him in Poco, Timothy B. Schmit, after agreeing that Schmit was the only candidate.[30]

In 1977, the group, minus Don Felder, performed instrumental work and backing vocals for Randy Newman’s album Little Criminals, including “Short People,” which has backup vocals by Frey and Schmit.
The Long Run and breakup (1979–80)

The Eagles went into the recording studio in 1977 to begin work on their next album, The Long Run. The album took two years to complete. It was originally intended to be a double album, but the band members were unable to write enough songs. The Long Run was released on September 24, 1979. Considered a disappointment by some critics for failing to live up to Hotel California, it proved a huge commercial hit nonetheless; the album topped the charts and sold 7 million copies. In addition, it included three Top 10 singles. “Heartache Tonight” became their last single to top the Hot 100, on November 10, 1979. The title track and “I Can’t Tell You Why” both reached number 8. The band won their fourth Grammy for “Heartache Tonight.” “In The City” by Walsh and “The Sad Cafe” became live staples. The band also recorded two Christmas songs during these sessions, “Funky New Year” and “Please Come Home For Christmas,” which was released as a single in 1978 and reached number 18 on the charts.

Frey, Henley and Schmit contributed backup vocals for the single release of “Look What You’ve Done to Me” by Boz Scaggs. A different version with female backing vocals appears on the Urban Cowboy soundtrack, along with the Eagles’ 1975 hit “Lyin’ Eyes.”

On July 31, 1980, in Long Beach, California, tempers boiled over into what has been described as “Long Night at Wrong Beach.”[31][32] The animosity between Felder and Frey boiled over before the show began, when Felder said, “You’re welcome – I guess” to California Senator Alan Cranston’s wife as the politician was thanking the band backstage for performing a benefit for his reelection.[33] Frey and Felder spent the entire show telling each other about the beating each planned to administer backstage. “Only three more songs until I kick your ass, pal,” Frey recalls Felder telling him near the end of the band’s set.[34] Felder recalls Frey telling him during “Best of My Love”, “I’m gonna kick your ass when we get off the stage.”[31][35]

It appeared to be the end of the Eagles, but the band still had a commitment with Elektra Records to make a live record from the tour. Eagles Live (released in November 1980) was mixed on opposite coasts. Frey had already quit the band and would remain in Los Angeles, while the other band members each worked on their parts in Miami.[36] “We were fixing three-part harmonies courtesy of Federal Express,” said producer Bill Szymczyk.[5] Frey refused to speak to the other Eagles, and he fired Irving Azoff as his manager.[36] With credits that listed no fewer than five attorneys, the album’s liner notes simply said, “Thank you and goodnight.” A single released from the album – “Seven Bridges Road” – had been a live concert staple for the band. It was written by Steve Young in an arrangement created by Iain Matthews for his Valley Hi album in 1973. The song reached number 21 on the charts in 1980, becoming the Eagles’ last Top 40 single until 1994.
Post breakup

After the Eagles broke up, the former members pursued solo careers. Elektra, the band’s long-time record label, owned the rights to solo albums created by members of the Eagles (though several of them moved to different labels in ensuing years). Walsh had established himself as a solo artist in the 1970s, before and during his time with the Eagles, but it was uncharted waters for the others. Walsh released a successful album in 1981, There Goes the Neighborhood, but subsequent albums throughout the 1980s, such as Got Any Gum? were less well received. During this period Walsh performed as a session musician for Dan Fogelberg, Steve Winwood, John Entwistle, Richard Marx and Emerson, Lake & Palmer, among others, and produced and co-wrote Ringo Starr’s Old Wave album.

Henley achieved the greatest commercial solo success of any former Eagle. In 1981, he sang a duet with Stevie Nicks of Fleetwood Mac fame, “Leather and Lace.” In 1982, he released I Can’t Stand Still, featuring the hit “Dirty Laundry.” This album would pale in comparison to his next release, Building the Perfect Beast (1984), which features the classic rock radio staples “The Boys of Summer” (a Billboard number 5 hit), “All She Wants to Do Is Dance (number 9),” “Not Enough Love in the World” (number 34) and “Sunset Grill” (number 22). Henley’s next album, The End of the Innocence (1989), was also a major success. It includes “The End of the Innocence,” “The Last Worthless Evening” and “The Heart of the Matter.” His solo career was cut short due to a contract dispute with his record company, which was finally resolved when the Eagles reunited in 1994.

Frey also achieved solo success in the 1980s. In 1982, he released his first album, No Fun Aloud, which spawned the number 15 hit, “The One You Love.” The Allnighter (1984) featured the number 20 hit “Sexy Girl.” He reached number 2 on the charts with “The Heat Is On” from the Beverly Hills Cop soundtrack. He had another number 2 single in 1985 with “You Belong to the City” from the Miami Vice soundtrack, which featured another Frey song, “Smuggler’s Blues.” He appeared as “Jimmy” in the episode titled after the song and contributed riffs to the episode’s soundtrack. He also contributed the songs “Flip City” to the Ghostbusters II soundtrack and “Part of Me, Part of You” to the soundtrack for Thelma & Louise.

Former music writer turned filmmaker Cameron Crowe, an Eagles fan, had written articles about Poco and the Eagles during his journalism career. In 1982 his first screenplay was produced as the feature length movie Fast Times at Ridgemont High. The film was co-produced by Eagles manager Azoff, who also co-produced the soundtrack album, released by Elektra. Henley, Walsh, Schmit and Felder all contributed solo songs to the film’s soundtrack. The band playing at the dance toward the end of the movie covers the Eagles song Life in the Fast Lane.

Felder also released a solo album and contributed two songs to the soundtrack of the movie Heavy Metal: “Heavy Metal (Takin’ a Ride)” (with Henley and Schmit providing backing vocals) and “All of You.” He also had a minor hit called “Bad Girls” off his solo album Airborne.

Schmit had a prolific solo career after the band’s initial breakup. He had a hit song on the Fast Times at Ridgemont High soundtrack with “So Much in Love.” He contributed vocals to the Crosby, Stills & Nash album Daylight Again on the songs “Southern Cross” and “Wasted on the Way” when that band needed an extra vocalist due to David Crosby’s drug overindulgence. Schmit sang backup vocals on Toto’s Toto IV album, including the song “I Won’t Hold You Back” and appeared with the group on their 1982 European tour. He spent three years (1983–1985) as a member of Jimmy Buffett’s Coral Reefer band and coined the term “Parrotheads” for Buffett’s die-hard fans. He had a Top 40 solo hit in 1987 with “Boys’ Night Out” and a top-30 Adult Contemporary hit with “Don’t Give Up,” both from his album Timothy B. Schmit appeared with Meisner and Walsh on Richard Marx’s debut single “Don’t Mean Nothing.” In 1992, Schmit and Walsh toured as members of Ringo Starr’s All-Starr Band and appeared on the live video from the Montreux Jazz Festival. Schmit released two solo albums, Playin’ It Cool in 1984 and Tell Me the Truth in 1990. He was the only Eagle to appear on the 1993 Eagles tribute album Common Thread: The Songs of the Eagles, singing backing vocals on Vince Gill’s cover of “I Can’t Tell You Why.”

Meisner had a number 19 hit with the song “Hearts on Fire” in 1981.
Musical style

Influenced by 1960s rhythm and blues, soul, and bluegrass music and the folk rock sound of the Byrds and Buffalo Springfield,[37] the Eagles’ overall sound has been described as “California rock”. Sal Manna, author of the CD liner notes of the band’s 1994 album Hell Freezes Over, commented that “No one knew quite what ‘California rock’ meant – except perhaps that, because in California anything was possible, music that came from that promising land was more free-spirited and free-ranging”.[38][39] The Eagles’ have also explored soft rock,[40][41] country rock,[42][43] folk rock[44] and hard rock[45] and have been associated with the album rock label.[4]

The group’s first two albums combined rock, country and folk music styles,[46] which gave the band a sound that brought them to the forefront of the 1970s country rock movement. These albums also contained elements of traditional rock and roll music.[4] For their third album On the Border, the band moved towards a hard rock sound,[45] a genre the band had only touched upon previously. The 1975 follow-up album One of These Nights saw the group explore the soft rock genre that was popular at the time, notably on the hit single “Take It to the Limit”, but still contained heavier rock tracks such as “Too Many Hands” and “Visions”, and the single “Lyin’ Eyes”, which combined rock, pop, country, and folk styles.[47]

During their career, the Eagles have also drawn on rock and roll,[48] blues rock,[49] arena rock,[50] rhythm and blues,[51] funk,[49] pop rock,[48] disco[52] and bluegrass.[45]

The Grateful Dead was an American rock band formed in 1965 in Palo Alto, California.[1][2] The band was known for its unique and eclectic style, which fused elements of rock, folk, bluegrass, blues, reggae, country, improvisational jazz, psychedelia, and space rock,[3][4] and for live performances of long musical improvisation.[5][6] “Their music,” writes Lenny Kaye, “touches on ground that most other groups don’t even know exists.”[7] These various influences were distilled into a diverse and psychedelic whole that made the Grateful Dead “the pioneering Godfathers of the jam band world”.[8] They were ranked 57th in the issue The Greatest Artists of all Time by Rolling Stone magazine.[9] They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994[10] and their Barton Hall Concert at Cornell University (May 8, 1977) was added to the Library of Congress’s National Recording Registry.[11] The Grateful Dead have sold more than 35 million albums worldwide.

The Grateful Dead was founded in the San Francisco Bay Area amid the rise of counterculture of the 1960s.[12][13][14] The founding members were Jerry Garcia (guitar, vocals), Bob Weir (guitar, vocals), Ron “Pigpen” McKernan (keyboards, harmonica, vocals), Phil Lesh (bass, vocals), and Bill Kreutzmann (drums).[15] Members of the Grateful Dead had played together in various San Francisco bands, including Mother McCree’s Uptown Jug Champions and the Warlocks. Lesh was the last member to join the Warlocks before they became the Grateful Dead; he replaced Dana Morgan Jr., who had played bass for a few gigs. With the exception of McKernan, who died in 1973, the core of the band stayed together for its entire 30-year history.[16] Other longtime members of the band include Mickey Hart (drums 1967–1971, 1974–1995), Keith Godchaux (keyboards 1971–1979), Donna Godchaux (vocals 1972–1979), Brent Mydland (keyboards, vocals 1979–1990), and Vince Welnick (keyboards 1990–1995).

The fans of the Grateful Dead, some of whom followed the band from concert to concert for years, are known as “Deadheads” and are known for their dedication to the band’s music.[5][6] The band and its following (Deadheads) are closely associated with the hippie movement and were seen as a form of institution in the culture of America for many years. Former members of the Grateful Dead, along with other musicians, toured as the Dead in 2003, 2004, and 2009 after touring as the Other Ones in 1998, 2000, and 2002. There are many contemporary incarnations of the Dead, with the most prominent touring acts being Furthur, Phil Lesh & Friends, & Bob Weir & Ratdog.
Formation (1965–1966)
Grateful Dead in 1980. Left to right: Jerry Garcia, Bill Kreutzmann, Bob Weir, Mickey Hart, Phil Lesh. Not pictured: Brent Mydland.

Phil Lesh and Jerry Garcia were brought together by Gert Chiarito in 1964 to perform on The Midnight Special, her Saturday night radio program on KPFA, Berkeley.[17]

The Grateful Dead began their career as the Warlocks, a group formed in early 1965 from the remnants of a Palo Alto, California jug band called Mother McCree’s Uptown Jug Champions.[18] The band’s first show was at Magoo’s Pizza located at 639 Santa Cruz Avenue in suburban Menlo Park, California on May 5, 1965. They were known as the Warlocks although at the same time the Velvet Underground was also using that name on the east coast.[19][20] The show was not recorded and not even the set list has been preserved. The band quickly changed its name after finding out that another band of the same name had signed a recording contract (not the Velvet Underground, who by then had also changed their name). The first show under the new name Grateful Dead was in San Jose, California on December 4, 1965, at one of Ken Kesey’s Acid Tests.[21][22][23] Earlier demo tapes have survived, but the first of over 2,000 concerts known to have been recorded by the band’s fans was a show at the Fillmore Auditorium in San Francisco on January 8, 1966.[24] Later that month, the Grateful Dead played at the Trips Festival, an early psychedelic rock show.

The name “Grateful Dead” was chosen from a dictionary. According to Phil Lesh, in his autobiography (pp. 62), “… [Jerry Garcia] picked up an old Britannica World Language Dictionary…[and]…In that silvery elf-voice he said to me, ‘Hey, man, how about the Grateful Dead?'” The definition there was “the soul of a dead person, or his angel, showing gratitude to someone who, as an act of charity, arranged their burial.” According to Alan Trist, director of the Grateful Dead’s music publisher company Ice Nine, Garcia found the name in the Funk & Wagnalls Folklore Dictionary, when his finger landed on that phrase while playing a game of Fictionary.[25] In the Garcia biography, Captain Trips, author Sandy Troy states that the band was smoking the psychedelic DMT at the time.[26] The term “grateful dead” appears in folktales of a variety of cultures. In mid-1969, Phil Lesh told another version of the story to Carol Maw, a young Texan visiting with the band in Marin County who also ended up going on the road with them to the Fillmore East and Woodstock. In this version, Phil said, “Jerry found the name spontaneously when he picked up a dictionary and the pages fell open. The words ‘grateful’ and ‘dead’ appeared straight opposite each other across the crack between the pages in unrelated text.”

Other supporting personnel who signed on early included Rock Scully, who heard of the band from Kesey and signed on as manager after meeting them at the Big Beat Acid Test; Stewart Brand, “with his side show of taped music and slides of Indian life, a multimedia presentation” at the Big Beat and then, expanded, at the Trips Festival; and Owsley Stanley, the “Acid King” whose LSD supplied the tests and who, in early 1966, became the band’s financial backer, renting them a house on the fringes of Watts and buying them sound equipment. “We were living solely off of Owsley’s good graces at that time…. [His] trip was he wanted to design equipment for us, and we were going to have to be in sort of a lab situation for him to do it,” said Garcia.[26]
Main career (1967–1995)
The Mantra-Rock Dance promotional poster featuring the Grateful Dead

One of the group’s earliest major performances in 1967 was the Mantra-Rock Dance—a musical event held on January 29, 1967, at the Avalon Ballroom by the San Francisco Hare Krishna temple. The Grateful Dead performed at the event along with the Hare Krishna founder Bhaktivedanta Swami, poet Allen Ginsberg, bands Moby Grape and Big Brother and the Holding Company with Janis Joplin, donating proceeds to the Krishna temple.[27][28] The band’s first LP, The Grateful Dead, was released on Warner Brothers in 1967.

Classically trained trumpeter Phil Lesh played bass guitar. Bob Weir, the youngest original member of the group, played rhythm guitar. Ron “Pigpen” McKernan played keyboards and harmonica until shortly before his death in 1973 at the age of 27. Garcia, Weir, and McKernan shared the lead vocal duties more or less equally; Lesh only sang a few leads but his tenor was a key part of the band’s three-part vocal harmonies. Bill Kreutzmann played drums, and in September 1967 was joined by a second drummer, New York native Mickey Hart, who also played a wide variety of other percussion instruments.

1970 included tour dates in New Orleans, Louisiana, where the band performed at The Warehouse for two nights. On January 31, 1970, the local police raided their hotel on Bourbon Street, and arrested and charged a total of 19 people with possession of various drugs.[29] The second night’s concert was performed as scheduled after bail was posted. Eventually the charges were dismissed, with the exception of those against sound engineer Owsley Stanley, who was already facing charges in California for manufacturing LSD. This event was later memorialized in the lyrics of the song “Truckin'”, a single from American Beauty which reached number 64 on the charts.

Mickey Hart quit the Grateful Dead in February 1971, leaving Kreutzmann once again as the sole percussionist. Hart rejoined the Grateful Dead for good in October 1974. Tom “TC” Constanten was added as a second keyboardist from 1968 to 1970, while Pigpen also played various percussion instruments and sang.

After Constanten’s departure, Pigpen reclaimed his position as sole organist. Less than two years later, in late 1971, Pigpen was joined by another keyboardist, Keith Godchaux, who played grand piano alongside Pigpen’s Hammond B-3 organ. In early 1972, Keith’s wife, Donna Jean Godchaux, joined the Grateful Dead as a backing vocalist.

Following the Grateful Dead’s “Europe ’72” tour, Pigpen’s health had deteriorated to the point that he could no longer tour with the band. His final concert appearance was June 17, 1972 at the Hollywood Bowl, in Los Angeles;[30] he died in March, 1973 of complications from alcohol abuse.[31]

The death of Pigpen did not slow the band down, and they continued with their new members. They soon formed their own record group, Grateful Dead Records.[32] Later that year, they released their next studio album, the jazz influenced Wake of the Flood. It became their biggest commercial success thus far.[33] Meanwhile, capitalizing on Flood’s success, the band soon went back to the studio, and the next year, 1974, released another album, From the Mars Hotel. Not long after that album’s release however, the Dead decided to take a hiatus from live touring.

In September 1975 the Dead released their eighth studio album, Blues for Allah. Their hiatus was short-lived, though, as they resumed touring in June 1976.[32] That same year, they re-signed with Arista Records. Their new contract soon produced Terrapin Station in 1977. Although things appeared to be going well for the band, problems were arising with their two newest members, Keith and Donna Jean Godchaux. While touring during the late 1970s the band began to use freebase cocaine.[34] Donna frequently had excessive vocal issues while performing live, and Keith was becoming dependent on hard drugs. Both of those issues were causing complications with touring, and they agreed to leave the band in February 1979.
Grateful Dead performing at Red Rocks Amphitheatre in 1987: Jerry Garcia (guitar), Mickey Hart (drums).

Following the departure of the Godchauxs, Brent Mydland joined as keyboardist and vocalist and was considered “the perfect fit”. The Godchauxs then formed the Heart of Gold Band before Keith Godchaux died in a car accident in 1980. Mydland was the keyboardist for the Grateful Dead for 11 years until his death by narcotics overdose in July 1990,[35] becoming the third keyboardist to die.

During the 1980s the band transformed as the talents of Mydland helped power the group. Shortly after Mydland found his place in the early 1980s, Garcia’s health began to decline. His drug habits caused him to lose his liveliness on stage. After kicking his drug habit in 1985, Garcia slipped into a diabetic coma for several days in July 1986. After he recovered, the band released In the Dark in 1987, which resulted as their best selling studio album release, and also produced their only top-10 chart single, “Touch of Grey”. Also that year, the group toured with Bob Dylan, as documented on the album Dylan & the Dead.

Inspired by Garcia’s improved health and a successful album, the band’s energy and chemistry peaked in the late 1980s and 1990. Performances were vigorous and as a result, every show exceeded its maximum audience capacity. The band’s “high time” came to a sudden halt when Mydland died after the summer tour in 1990. The band now had to rebuild; both Vince Welnick, former keyboardist for the Tubes, and Bruce Hornsby, who had a successful career with his own band the Range, joined the band on keyboards and vocals. Welnick joined as a proper member of the band and stayed with the band until Garcia’s death, but he was never a member of the Other Ones or the Dead. He did, however, play in early incarnations of Ratdog with Bob Weir. Welnick died on June 2, 2006, reportedly a suicide.[36] Hornsby was an unofficial member until March 24, 1992, and has participated in various post-Grateful dead projects, notably the Other Ones.
Aftermath (1995 to the present)
Bob Weir onstage in 2007, playing a Modulus G3FH

Following Garcia’s death in August 1995, the remaining members formally decided to disband. Since that time however, there have been a number of reunions by the surviving members involving various combinations of musicians.

In 1998, Bob Weir, Phil Lesh, and Mickey Hart, along with several other musicians, formed a band called the Other Ones, and performed a number of concerts that year, releasing a live album, The Strange Remain, the following year. In 2000, the Other Ones toured again, this time with Bill Kreutzmann but without Lesh. After taking another year off, the band was active again in 2002. With Lesh’s return for this go-round, the Other Ones then included all four living former Grateful Dead members who had been in the band for most or all of its history.

In 2003, the Other Ones changed their name to the Dead. The Dead toured the country in 2003 and 2004. In 2008, members of the Dead played two concerts, called “Deadheads for Obama” and “Change Rocks”. In 2009 the Dead performed on a spring tour, and were at the Rothbury Music Festival on July 4, 2009.

Following the 2009 summer reunion tour bandmates Lesh and Weir formed the band Furthur which debuted in September 2009.[37] Joining Lesh and Weir in Furthur are Jeff Chimenti (keyboard), John Kadlecik (guitar), Joe Russo (drums), Sunshine Becker (vocalist), and Jeff Pehrson (vocalist).

In 2010, Hart and Kreutzmann re-formed the Rhythm Devils, and played a summer concert tour.

Since 1995, the former members of the Grateful Dead have also pursued solo musical careers. Bob Weir & RatDog have performed many concerts and released several albums, as have Phil Lesh and Friends. Mickey Hart and Bill Kreutzmann have each led several different bands and have also released some albums. Recently Mickey Hart has been working with his Mickey Hart Band and Kreutzmann has been touring with BK3, and with 7 Walkers, a band he formed with Papa Mali. Donna Godchaux has returned to the music scene, with the Donna Jean Godchaux Band, and Tom Constanten also continues to write and perform music. All of these groups continue to play Grateful Dead music.
Musical style
An acoustic performance at the Warfield Theatre in San Francisco in 1980. Left to right: Garcia, Lesh, Kreutzmann, Weir, Hart, Mydland.

The Grateful Dead formed during the era when bands such as the Beatles, the Beach Boys and the Rolling Stones were dominating the airwaves. “The Beatles were why we turned from a jug band into a rock ‘n’ roll band,” said Bob Weir. “What we saw them doing was impossibly attractive.” Former folk-scene star Bob Dylan had recently put out a couple of records featuring electric instrumentation. “I couldn’t think of anything else more worth doing,” Garcia said.[38] Grateful Dead members have said that it was after attending a concert by the touring New York City band the Lovin’ Spoonful that they decided to “go electric” and look for a dirtier sound. Gradually, many of the East-Coast American folk musicians, formerly luminaries of the coffee-house scene, were moving in the electric direction.[citation needed] It was natural for Jerry Garcia and Bob Weir, each of whom had been immersed in the American folk music revival of the late 1950s and early 1960s, to be open-minded toward electric guitars. Their first LP (The Grateful Dead, Warner Brothers, 1967), was released in the same year that Pink Floyd released The Piper at the Gates of Dawn and the Beatles released Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.

The Grateful Dead’s early music (in the mid-1960s) was part of the process of establishing what “psychedelic music” was, but theirs was essentially a “street party” form of it. They developed their “psychedelic” playing as a result of meeting Ken Kesey in Palo Alto, California, and subsequently becoming the house band for the Acid Tests he staged.[39] The Dead were not inclined to fit their music to an established category such as pop rock, blues, folk rock, or country & western. Individual tunes within their repertoire could be identified under one of these stylistic labels, but overall their music drew on all of these genres and, more frequently, melding several of them. It was doubtless with this in mind that Bill Graham said of the Grateful Dead, “They’re not the best at what they do, they’re the only ones that do what they do.”[40] Often (both in performance and on recording) the Dead left room for exploratory, spacey soundscapes.

Their live shows, fed by their improvisational approach to music, made the Grateful Dead different from most other touring bands. While most rock and roll bands rehearse a standard show for their tours that is replayed night after night, city after city, the Grateful Dead never did. As Garcia stated in a 1966 interview, “We don’t make up our sets beforehand. We’d rather work off the tops of our heads than off a piece of paper.”[41] They maintained this operating ethic throughout their existence. For each performance, the band drew material from an active list of a hundred or so songs.[41]

The 1969 live album Live/Dead did capture more of their essence, but commercial success did not come until Workingman’s Dead and American Beauty, both released in 1970. These records largely featured the band’s laid-back acoustic musicianship and more traditional song structures.

As the band and its sound matured over thirty years of touring, playing, and recording, each member’s stylistic contribution became more defined, consistent, and identifiable. Lesh, who was originally a classically trained trumpet player with an extensive background in music theory, did not tend to play traditional blues-based bass forms, but opted for more melodic, symphonic and complex lines, often sounding like a second lead guitar. Weir, too, was not a traditional rhythm guitarist, but tended to play jazz-influenced, unique inversions at the upper end of the Dead’s sound. The two drummers, Mickey Hart and Kreutzmann, developed a unique, complex interplay, balancing Kreutzmann’s steady beat with Hart’s interest in percussion styles outside the rock tradition. Hart incorporated an 11-count measure to his drumming, bringing a new dimension to the band’s sound that became an important part of its emerging style.[42] Garcia’s lead lines were fluid, supple and spare, owing a great deal of their character to his training in fingerpicking and banjo.

The band’s primary lyricists, Robert Hunter and John Perry Barlow, commonly used themes involving love and loss, life and death, gambling and murder, beauty and horror, chaos and order, God and other religious themes, travelling and touring, etc. Less frequent ideas include the environment and issues from the world of politics.[citation needed]
Merchandising and representation

Hal Kant was an entertainment industry attorney who specialized in representing musical groups. He spent 35 years as principal lawyer and general counsel for the Grateful Dead, a position in the group that was so strong that his business cards with the band identified his role as “Czar”.[43]

Kant brought the band millions of dollars in revenue through his management of the band’s intellectual property and merchandising rights. At Kant’s recommendation, the group was one of the few rock ‘n roll pioneers to retain ownership of their music masters and publishing rights.

In 2006, the Grateful Dead signed a ten-year licensing agreement with Rhino Entertainment. Rhino is managing the Dead’s business interests, including the release of musical recordings, merchandising, and marketing. In 2011 Rhino and Grateful Dead Productions began working with Curious Sense to develop an online and mobile social game built on the band’s legacy.[44] The band retains creative control and keeps ownership of the music catalog.[45][46]
Live performances
Grateful Dead members in the early 1980s: Brent Mydland, Bob Weir, and Jerry Garcia watch Bill Kreutzmann play the drums. Not pictured are Phil Lesh and Mickey Hart.
Grateful Dead concert tickets for their spring 1994 Nassau Coliseum run

The Grateful Dead toured constantly throughout their career, playing more than 2,300 concerts.[47] They promoted a sense of community among their fans, who became known as Deadheads, many of whom followed their tours for months or years on end. In their early career, the band also dedicated their time and talents to their community, the Haight-Ashbury area of San Francisco, making available free food, lodging, music and health care to all comers; they were the “first among equals in giving unselfishly of themselves to hippie culture, performing ‘more free concerts than any band in the history of music’.[48]

With the exception of 1975, when the band was on hiatus and played only four concerts together, the Grateful Dead performed many concerts every year, from their formation in April, 1965, until July 9, 1995.[49] Initially all their shows were in California, principally in the San Francisco Bay Area and in or near Los Angeles. They also performed, in 1965 and 1966, with Ken Kesey and the Merry Pranksters, as the house band for the Acid Tests. They toured nationally starting in June 1967 (their first foray to New York), with a few detours to Canada, Europe and three nights at the Great Pyramid of Giza in Egypt in 1978. They appeared at the Monterey Pop Festival in 1967, and at the Woodstock Festival in 1969. Their first UK performance was at the Hollywood Music Festival in 1970. Their largest concert audience came in 1973 when they played, along with the Allman Brothers Band and the Band, before an estimated 600,000 people at the Summer Jam at Watkins Glen.[50] The 1998 edition of the Guinness Book of World Records recognized them with a listing under the heading, “most rock concerts performed” (2,318 concerts).[51] They played to an estimated total of 25 million people, more than any other band, with audiences of up to 80,000 attending a single show.[51] Many of these concerts were preserved in the band’s tape vault, and several dozen have since been released on CD and as downloads. The Dead were known for the tremendous variation in their setlists from night to night—the list of songs documented to have been played by the band exceeds 500.[52]

Their numerous studio albums were generally collections of new songs that they had first played in concert. The band was also famous for its extended musical jams, which featured both individual improvisations as well as distinctive “group-mind” improvisations during which each of the band members improvised individually while simultaneously blending together as a cohesive musical unit. Musically, this may be illustrated in that the band not only improvised within the form of songs, but also with the form. The Grateful Dead have often been described as having never played the same song the same way twice. The cohesive listening abilities of each band member made for a transcendence of what might be called “free form” and improvisation. Their concert sets often blended songs, one into the next (a segue).
Concert sound systems

The Wall of Sound was an enormous sound system designed specifically for the Grateful Dead.[53][54] The band was never satisfied with the house system anywhere they played. After the Monterey Pop Festival, the band’s crew ‘borrowed’ some of the other performers’ sound equipment and used it to host some free shows in San Francisco.[55] In their early days, soundman Owsley “Bear” Stanley designed a public address (PA) and monitor system for them. Bear was the Grateful Dead’s soundman for many years; he was also one of the largest suppliers of LSD.[56] Stanley’s sound systems were delicate and finicky, and frequently brought shows to a halt with technical breakdowns. After Stanley went to jail for manufacturing LSD in 1970, the group briefly used house PAs, but found them to be even less reliable than those built by their former soundman. In 1971, the band purchased their first solid-state sound system from Alembic Inc Studios. Because of this, Alembic would play an integral role in the research, development, and production of the Wall of Sound. The band also welcomed Dan Healy into the fold on a permanent basis that year. Healy would mix the Grateful Dead’s live sound until 1993.

The Outlaws[1] are a Southern rock/country rock band best known for their 1975 hits “There Goes Another Love Song” and “Green Grass and High Tides”.
Early History

The Outlaws were formed in Tampa, Florida in late 1967 by guitarist–vocalist Hughie Thomasson, drummer David Dix, bassist Phil Holmberg, guitarists Hobie O’Brien and Frank Guidry, plus singer Herb Pino. Guidry brought the name Outlaws with him when he joined (he had been in another group that had that name). Previous to Guidry’s arrival the band was called The Rogues, then The Four Letter Words. By early 1968 O’Brien and Holmberg both left the band to get married, and Frank O’Keefe came in on bass. Later that year, Tommy Angarano joined the Outlaws to replace Herb Pino, bringing Hammond organ sounds and his style of vocals to the band. Shortly after, he quit and Herb was brought back in. In the spring of 1968 the group’s first manager, Paul D., brought them to Epic Studios in New York City to record an album, which was never released after the band and the producer of the album had a falling-out. Guidry left at this point after differences with the manager. The group headed back to Tampa, then got another deal to go to Criteria Studios in Miami. There they recorded another album with producer Phil Gernhard. But this album was likewise never released, and Gernhard vanished soon after. Ronny Elliott was brought in around this time to play bass while O’Keefe briefly switched to guitar. But O’Keefe went back to bass after Elliott left in 1969 and Herb Pino began playing guitars and doing vocals at this time. Drummer Monte Yoho also joined that same year to sub for Dix.

In early 1970, the Outlaws were joined by two members of the Dave Graham Group that was also managed by Paul D. (Ped-Dyn. Productions.) The Dave Graham Group’s Union leader was Monte Yoho, but he was not invited to be part of this line-up. The early 1970 Outlaws line-up was Hughie Thomasson, Frank O’Keefe, Dave Dix, Billy Jones and Dave Graham. Graham was influential in moving the group toward country-rock, especially the music of Poco. They recorded a cover of The Doors’ “Five to One” as an audition to a recording deal that never materialized. This grouping disbanded in the spring of 1970 and the group eventually parted ways with Paul D. Yoho and Herb Pino returned, but by 1971 the offers for gigs had slowed down and the group went into limbo for a year or so, not sure if they would continue.

In 1971 Henry Paul, a singer and guitarist who was born in New York but grew up in the Tampa area, returned from a stay in Greenwich Village NYC to form Sienna, which was more of a country rock outfit. He was joined by Monte Yoho and Frank O’Keefe. In 1972 Hughie Thomasson returned from a brief spell in New York where he’d been backing up folksinger Milton Carroll, joined up with Paul, Yoho and O’Keefe and Sienna became the reborn Outlaws.

Billy Jones, who would sometimes show up to jam with the group on organ in 1971 and 1972, returned from a stint in Boulder, Colorado in 1973 and switched to guitar, giving birth to the band’s first infamous guitar trio later dubbed “The Florida Guitar Army”. O’Keefe left the group temporarily in 1973–74. Buzzy Meekins and another bassist named Rick Birkbeck stood in until he was able to return. In 1974 Charlie Brusco signed on as manager for The Outlaws. Alan Walden (brother of Capricorn Records founder Phil Walden) was told of the group by Lynyrd Skynyrd frontman Ronnie Van Zant and he joined forces with Brusco as co-manager.

The band was the first act signed to Arista Records under Clive Davis. Davis was in the audience at a show in 1974 where the band was opening for Lynyrd Skynyrd in Columbus, Georgia. On the way to the stage for Lynyrd Skynyrd’s set, lead vocalist Ronnie Van Zant said to Clive Davis who was with Charlie Brusco “If you don’t sign the Outlaws, you’re the dumbest music person I’ve ever met—and I know you’re not.” [2]

The Outlaws’ earliest well known songs were “There Goes Another Love Song” and “Green Grass and High Tides”, both from their 1975 self-titled debut album. Their 1980 cover of “(Ghost) Riders in the Sky” from the album Ghost Riders was their biggest single chart success, reaching No. 31 on the Billboard “Pop Singles” chart.[3]
Career
Thomasson & Jones

While the Outlaws are generally considered to be a part of the southern rock genre, there are distinct differences in their approach and their influences. Their primary similarity to other southern rock bands is the dual lead guitar interplay, a defining characteristic of many southern rock bands. However, the Outlaws’ mix of country and rock elements displays the vocal harmony influences of groups like Buffalo Springfield, the Byrds, and Poco. Their use of three and four part harmonies set them apart from their contemporaries who usually relied on a single lead vocalist.

Hughie Thomasson’s signature guitar playing style and voice were defining characteristics of the band’s sound. Thomasson’s guitar sound was underpinned by the use of the Fender Stratocaster (and sometimes a Fender Telecaster) played in a quasi-country style mixed with fluid, quick blues runs. Hughie was nicknamed “The Flame” for his flaming fast guitar work. He is a member of the Fender Hall of Fame.

The other lead guitarist, Billy Jones, played mainly a Gibson Les Paul and switched between a clean and distorted sound. A good example of this can be heard on “Green Grass and High Tides” on the right stereo channel. Hughie Thomasson’s smooth Stratocaster sound can be heard on the left channel. Thomasson opens the first solo at the intro and plays the first half of the two succeeding longer solos all on the right channel. There are many video examples of his Green Grass solos on the internet.

The records released by the band between 1975 and 1980 are considered the best representation of the band’s style. The band was seen on successful concert tours billed with other non-southern rock acts of the time. This contrast of styles was more common at that time than the packaged “genre” tours seen so often these days. The willingness of promoters to mix styles led to the Outlaws gaining a large following in the United States.

The Outlaws style is highly characterized in their first three albums. These are considered the best work of the band with all of the “classic era” band members, except for O’Keefe who was replaced by the left-handed bass player Harvey Dalton Arnold (see below for a complete roster of Outlaws members). O’Keefe and Jones both died in February 1995; Jones by suicide.

The albums released after 1980 are largely viewed by critics as a gradual move away from the original sound that gained them success in the 1970s. The reworking of the Western-styled “Ghost Riders” in 1980 was the band’s last taste of big league success, although the band released two more records, Los Hombres Malo in 1982 and Soldiers of Fortune in 1986. As the 1980s came to a close, Thomasson became the final original member of the act. Albums such as Diablo Canyon, released in 1994, were released on smaller independent record labels. The band by now was mostly confined to smaller club dates. This situation led to Thomasson accepting the guitar position in the legendary, and by now much more popular, Lynyrd Skynyrd in 1996. This essentially sidelined the Outlaws for a decade, as Thomasson’s voice and guitar style were just too integral a part of the Outlaws’ sound for the other members to successfully work without it. In 2000, the Diablo Canyon-lineup released the album So Low, to mixed response from fans. Many cited it as being more of a solo output from Thomasson. After this release, the band again vanished from the musical environment.

Henry Paul went on to form the country band BlackHawk, which had some chart success in the 1990s.

In April 2005, classic members Hughie Thomasson, Henry Paul, Monte Yoho, and David Dix reunited as the Outlaws and the rest of the lineup was filled out with former guitarist Chris Anderson, bassist Randy Threet, and Dave Robbins on keyboards. The latter three had been with Paul’s country group BlackHawk. The two classic members not included in the lineup, guitarist Billy Jones and bassist Frank O’Keefe, could not join as they both died in 1995, within weeks of each other. O’Keefe died of a drug overdose and Jones committed suicide shortly after. Paul and Robbins left to resume their careers in BlackHawk in early 2006, but the remaining band soldiered on. They were part of the Charlie Daniels Volunteer Jam tour in the summer of 2007. Band leader Hughie Thomasson died on September 9, 2007, of a heart attack in Brooksville, Florida. obituary report No release date has been announced for the new studio album, Once an Outlaw, that was finished before Thomasson’s death.

A cover version of their trademark epic 10-minute track “Green Grass and High Tides” is featured as the finale in the set list for guitar and bass in the video game Rock Band and features two complicated solos.

In December 2007, 2008 Outlaws tour dates were released. In January 2008, the Outlaws lineup would be revealed to include Henry Paul (guitars/vocals), Monte Yoho (drums), Chris Anderson (guitars/vocals), and Randy Threet (bass), along with newer additions Billy Crain (guitars), Jon Coleman (keyboards), and Brett Cartwright (bass). Cartwright left the band shortly thereafter. This would be the first lineup in Outlaws’ history without Hughie Thomasson on guitar and vocals, as from the band’s formation to his death, he was the only constant member, garnering him the nicknames “Mr. Outlaw” and “The Lone Outlaw”.

According to the band’s web site, the Outlaws announced their intention to continue to tour throughout the summer and fall of 2009 with this lineup and planned to participate in the Simple Man Cruise with Lynyrd Skynyrd in January 2010. It was also stated on the website that the band would change its name to ‘Henry Paul Band’ due to Thomasson’s death, but to continue touring with the same setlists.

In May 2010, The Outlaws were featured, along with The Marshall Tucker Band, Molly Hatchet, Blackberry Smoke, and The Chris Hicks Band, on stage at Long Island Southern Jam 2010 in Babylon, NY at Overlook Beach. The all day concert featured a unique jam fest for all the bands. *LI Southern Jam website

For the 2010 tour Dave Robbins returned on keyboards and Henry Paul was involved in a lawsuit brought about by Hughie Thomasson’s widow, Mary, which alleged trademark violations. In April, 2011 the case was ruled upon in favor of Henry Paul, Monte Yoho and the co-defendants.

On July 30, 2012, it was announced on the band’s website that “their first new album in 18 years” will be released on September 25, 2012, titled “It’s About Pride”. It will also be accompanied by a separately released DVD documentary about the making of the new album, called “Hidin’ Out In Tennessee”.
Members

Leon Russell (born Claude Russell Bridges April 2, 1942) is an American musician and songwriter, who has recorded as a session musician, sideman, and maintained a solo career in music.
Born in Lawton, Oklahoma,[2] United States, he began playing piano at the age of four. Russell attended Will Rogers High School in Tulsa, Oklahoma. At this time he was already performing at Tulsa nightclubs.[3] After moving to Los Angeles, he became a session musician, working as a pianist on the recordings of many notable musical artists from the 1960s. By the late 1960s, Russell diversified, becoming successful as an arranger[4] and songwriter. As a musician, he worked his way up from gigs as a sideman to well known performers. By 1970 he had graduated to solo recording artist, although he never ended his previous roles within the music industry.

Russell was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame on Monday, March 14, 2011.[5]
Career

Russell began his musical career at the age of 14 in the nightclubs of Tulsa, Oklahoma. He and his group The Starlighters, which included J.J. Cale, Leo Feathers, Chuck Blackwell and Johnny Williams,[6] were instrumental in creating the style of music known as the Tulsa Sound. After settling in Los Angeles, he studied guitar with James Burton. Known mostly as a session musician early in his career, as a solo artist he has crossed genres to include rock and roll, blues, and gospel music, playing with artists as varied as Jan & Dean, Gary Lewis, George Harrison, Gram Parsons, Delaney Bramlett, Ringo Starr, Doris Day, Elton John, Ray Charles, Eric Clapton, The Byrds, The Beach Boys, The Ventures, Willie Nelson, Badfinger, Tijuana Brass, Frank Sinatra, The Band, Bob Dylan, J.J. Cale, B.B. King,[7] Dave Mason, Glen Campbell, Joe Cocker and The Rolling Stones.[8]

As a first call studio musician in Los Angeles, Russell played on many of the most popular songs of the 1960s, including some by The Byrds, Gary Lewis and the Playboys, Bobby “Boris” Pickett, and Herb Alpert. He can be seen in 1964’s T.A.M.I. Show, playing piano with “The Wrecking Crew” (an informal name for the top L.A. session musicians of the 1960s), sporting short, dark, slicked-back hair, in contrast to his later look.[8] Soon after, he was hired as Snuff Garrett’s assistant/creative developer, playing on numerous #1 singles, including “This Diamond Ring” by Gary Lewis and the Playboys.[4] He wrote or co-wrote two hit songs for Gary Lewis and Playboys: “Everybody Loves a Clown” (which hit the Billboard Top 40 on October 9, 1965, remaining on the chart for eight weeks and rising to number 4) and “She’s Just My Style” (which hit Billboard′s Top 40 on December 18, 1965, and rose to number 3).[9] He played xylophone and bells on the 1966 single “The Joker Went Wild”, sung by Brian Hyland and penned by Bobby Russell (no relation to Leon). He also worked sessions with Dorsey Burnette and Glen Campbell on Campbell’s 1967 album Gentle on My Mind, where he was credited as “Russell Bridges” on piano,[citation needed] and arranged and conducted the 1966 easy listening album Rhapsodies for Young Lovers by the Midnight String Quartet.

In 1969 and 1970, Russell worked as a member of Delaney & Bonnie and Friends, playing guitar and keyboards on their albums and as part of the touring band. Here he met George Harrison and others with whom he would work over the next couple of years.

Russell’s first commercial success as a songwriter came when Joe Cocker recorded the song “Delta Lady” for his 1969 album, Joe Cocker![8] The album, co-produced and arranged by Russell, reached #11 on the Billboard 200.[10] Russell went on to organize—using many of the musicians from Delaney & Bonnie’s band—and perform in the 1970 Mad Dogs and Englishmen tour.[11] “Superstar”, co-written by Russell, Delaney Bramlett and Bonnie Bramlett, was sung by Rita Coolidge on that tour and later proved a success for The Carpenters, Luther Vandross, Sonic Youth and other performers.

During the Mad Dogs and Englishmen tour, Shelter Records released his 1970 solo album Leon Russell, which included the first recording of “A Song for You”. This has become one of his best-known songs, with versions released by more than 40 different artists including The Carpenters, Ray Charles, Peggy Lee, Willie Nelson, Helen Reddy, Whitney Houston, Elkie Brooks, Amy Winehouse, Donny Hathaway, and Christina Aguilera. Both The Carpenters and The Temptations named an album after the song. Also in 1970, Russell played piano on Dave Mason’s album, Alone Together, most notably on the song “Sad and Deep as You”.

During the 1960s and ’70s, Russell owned the Church Recording Studio on 3rd Street in Tulsa. Russell still records there frequently, while his former home on Grand Lake, in northeast Oklahoma, still contains the dining room table and chairs made from church pews from his Church Studio. On the property stands a private recording studio that has hosted many musicians, including members of The Beatles.

In March, 1971, Russell produced some tracks for Bob Dylan, who was experimenting with his sound. The sessions produced the single “Watching the River Flow” and “When I Paint My Masterpiece”, both of which prominently featured Russell’s gospel-flavored piano.

During the summer of 1971, at the invitation of former Delaney & Bonnie band-mate George Harrison, Russell played piano on Badfinger’s third album, Straight Up. The piano part complemented Pete Ham and George Harrison’s dual slide guitars on Badfinger’s “Day After Day”. The Straight Up sessions were interrupted when many of the musicians left for New York City to participate in the Concert For Bangladesh, at which Russell performed a medley of the songs “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” and “Young Blood” and sang a verse on Harrison’s “Beware of Darkness.”[8] Russell (on bass guitar and vocals) and Harrison (on electric guitar and vocals) also backed up Bob Dylan’s set.

A busy year for Russell, 1971 also brought the Shelter release of Leon Russell and the Shelter People and Asylum Choir II (which was co-produced by Marc Benno). That same year, Russell played on recording sessions with B.B. King, Eric Clapton, and Bob Dylan.

Russell helped blues guitarist Freddie King to revive his career by collaborating with him on three of his albums for Shelter during the early 1970s. During those same years, Russell helped himself to a nice share of what was then called the “County and Western” market, recording and performing under the moniker Hank Wilson,[12] and was a regular performer at Gilley’s Club, the Pasadena, Texas, honkytonk made famous in Urban Cowboy.
Russell in 2009.

1972 was highlighted by a large-scale concert tour by Russell and his “Shelter People” entourage. A live performance was recorded in California at the Long Beach Arena on August 28, 1972, and was released as the Leon Live album. In November 1972, Billboard cited Russell as a top concert draw and reported the ’72 tour gross at almost $3 million.[4]

Russell’s song, “This Masquerade”, the B-side of his 1972 hit single “Tight Rope”, went on to be recorded by numerous artists, including Helen Reddy and The Carpenters.[13] George Benson’s version of the song reached #10 on the Billboard Hot 100. Leon and then-wife Mary Russell were musical guests on the May 15, 1976, episode of Saturday Night Live in its first season, hosted by Dyan Cannon. In 1976 Russell was Grammy Award nomination for Song of the Year in 1977.[14]

In 1979, Russell and Willie Nelson had a number-one hit on the Billboard country music chart with their duet of “Heartbreak Hotel”. Russell spent the next two years touring with the New Grass Revival, and released two more albums with Paradise before the label folded.[8]

After a number of years of reduced prominence, Russell’s career was rejuvenated when Elton John sought him out for a new project.[15] In November 2009, Russell worked together with John and Bernie Taupin on The Union, a double album record credited equally to both Russell and John. Recorded in February 2010 and produced by T-Bone Burnett,[16] the CD was released on October 19, 2010.[17] The recordings were interrupted in January 2010 by a health scare: Russell was hospitalized and underwent surgery for a brain fluid leak, as well as treatment for heart failure and pneumonia.[18] On April 2, 2011, Russell and John performed together as the musical guests on Saturday Night Live. Rolling Stone placed the album in third place on its list of the 30 Best Albums of 2010.[19] A couple of months later, Russell announced plans for a solo LP, although no specifics were given, and in October 2010 Russell and John embarked on The Union Tour.

Russell’s current band line-up includes long-time bass player Jackie Wessel, Brandon Holder on drums, multi-instrumentalist Beau Charron and grandson Payton Goodner on percussion.

Stephen Ray Vaughan (October 3, 1954 – August 27, 1990), known as Stevie Ray Vaughan, was an American musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer. In spite of a short-lived mainstream career spanning seven years, he is widely considered one of the most influential electric guitarists in the history of blues music, and one of the most important figures in the revival of blues in the 1980s. Allmusic describes him as “a rocking powerhouse of a guitarist who gave blues a burst of momentum in the ’80s, with influence still felt long after his tragic death.”[2]

Born and raised in Dallas, Texas, Vaughan began playing guitar at the age of seven, inspired by his older brother Jimmie. In 1971 he dropped out of high school, and moved to Austin the following year. He played gigs with numerous bands, earning a spot in Marc Benno’s band, the Nightcrawlers, and later with Denny Freeman in the Cobras, with whom he continued to work through late 1977. He then formed his own group, Triple Threat Revue, before renaming the band Double Trouble after hiring drummer Chris Layton and bassist Tommy Shannon. He gained fame after his performance at the Montreux Jazz Festival in 1982, and in 1983 his debut studio album, Texas Flood, charted at number 38. The ten-song album was a commercially successful release that sold over half-a-million copies. After achieving sobriety in late 1986, he headlined concert tours with Jeff Beck in 1989 and Joe Cocker in 1990 before his death in a helicopter crash on August 27, 1990, at the age of 35.

Vaughan was inspired musically by American and British blues rock. He favored clean amplifiers with high volume and contributed to the popularity of vintage musical equipment. He often combined several different amplifiers together and used minimal effects pedals. Chris Gill of Guitar World commented: “Stevie Ray Vaughan’s guitar tone was as dry as a San Antonio summer and as sparkling clean as a Dallas debutante, the product of the natural sound of amps with ample clean headroom. However, Vaughan occasionally used pedals to augment his sound, mainly to boost the signal, although he occasionally employed a rotating speaker cabinet and wah pedals for added textural flair.”[3]

Vaughan received several music awards during his lifetime and posthumously. In 1983, readers of Guitar Player voted him as Best New Talent and Best Electric Blues Guitar Player. In 1984, the Blues Foundation named him Entertainer of the Year and Blues Instrumentalist of the Year, and in 1987 Performance Magazine honored him with Rhythm and Blues Act of the Year. Earning six Grammy Awards and ten Austin Music Awards, he was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in 2000 and the Musicians Hall of Fame in 2014. Rolling Stone ranked Vaughan as the twelfth greatest guitarist of all time.[4]
Family and early life
A black and white image (c.1900s) of an elderly man with white hair and a long beard dressed in a long-sleeved and suspenders standing in front of a tree.
Vaughan’s paternal great-grandfather, Robert Hodgen LaRue, circa 1900s

Vaughan’s ancestry has been traced as far back as the nineteenth century, to his great-grandfather Robert Hodgen LaRue. Robert had a daughter named Laura Belle LaRue, Vaughan’s paternal grandmother.[nb 1] She married a man from Arkansas named Thomas Lee Vaughan. They moved onto a region of land in Rockwall County and made their living off of sharecropping.[6] On September 6, 1921, Thomas and Laura had a son they named Jimmie Lee Vaughan; people called him Jim.[7]

Jim, who dropped out of school at the age of sixteen, enlisted to serve with the United States Navy on the outbreak of World War II. After returning from service, Jim met Martha Cook (1928–2009) while working as an attendant at a 7-Eleven convenience store in Dallas; they married on January 13, 1950.[8] Stephen Ray Vaughan was born on October 3, 1954, in Dallas, Texas; he was three-and-a-half years younger than his brother Jimmie (born 1951). Jim secured a job as an asbestos worker, an occupation that involved rigorous, manual effort. The family frequently moved, living in other states such as Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Oklahoma before ultimately moving to the Oak Cliff suburb of Dallas. A shy and insecure boy, Vaughan was deeply affected by his childhood experiences. Jim struggled with alcohol abuse, and often terrorized his family and friends with his bad temper. In later years, Vaughan recalled that he had been a victim of Jim’s violence.[9]
First instruments

In the early 1960s, Vaughan’s admiration for Jimmie resulted in him trying different instruments such as the drums and saxophone.[10][nb 2] In 1961, for his seventh birthday, Vaughan received his first guitar, a toy with only three strings.[nb 3] Learning by ear, he diligently committed himself, following along to songs by the Nightcaps, particularly “Wine, Wine, Wine” and “Thunderbird”.[13][nb 4] He listened to blues artists such as Albert King, Otis Rush, and Muddy Waters, and rock guitarists such as Jimi Hendrix and Lonnie Mack, as well as jazz guitarists including Kenny Burrell.[15] In 1963, he acquired his first electric guitar, a Gibson ES-125T, as a hand-me-down from Jimmie.[16]

Soon after he acquired the electric guitar, Vaughan joined his first band, the Chantones, in 1965.[1] Their first gig was at a talent contest held in Dallas’ Hill Theatre, but after realizing that they could not perform a Jimmy Reed song in its entirety, Vaughan left the band and joined the Brooklyn Underground, playing professionally at local bars and clubs.[1] He received Jimmie’s Fender Broadcaster, which he later traded for an Epiphone Riviera.[17] When Jimmie left home at age sixteen, Vaughan’s apparent obsession with the instrument caused a lack of support from his parents.[18] Miserable at home, he took a job at a local hamburger stand, where he washed dishes and dumped trash for seventy cents an hour. After falling into a barrel of grease, he had enough so he quit and devoted his life to a music career.[19]
Music career
Early years

In May 1969, after leaving the Brooklyn Underground, Vaughan joined a band called the Southern Distributor.[20] He had learned The Yardbirds’ “Jeff’s Boogie” and played the song at the audition. Mike Steinbach, the group’s drummer, commented: “The kid was fourteen. We auditioned him on ‘Jeff’s Boogie,’ really fast instrumental guitar, and he played it note for note.”[21] Although they played pop rock covers, Vaughan conveyed his interest in the addition of blues songs to the group’s repertoire; he was told that he wouldn’t earn a living playing blues music and the band parted ways.[22] Later that year, bassist Tommy Shannon walked into a Dallas club and heard Vaughan playing guitar. Fascinated by the skillful playing, which he described as “incredible even then”, Shannon borrowed a bass guitar and the two jammed.[23][nb 5] Within a few years, they began performing together in a band called Krackerjack.[24]

In February 1970, Vaughan joined a band called Liberation, which was a nine-piece group with a horn section. Having spent the past month briefly playing bass with Jimmie in Texas Storm, he had originally auditioned as bassist. Impressed by Vaughan’s guitar playing, Scott Phares, the group’s original guitarist, modestly became the bassist.[25] In mid-1970, they performed at the Adolphus Hotel in downtown Dallas, where ZZ Top asked to perform. During Liberation’s break, Vaughan jammed with ZZ Top on the Nightcaps song “Thunderbird”. Phares later described the performance: “They tore the house down. It was awesome. It was one of those magical evenings. Stevie fit in like a glove on a hand.”[26]

Attending Justin F. Kimball High School during the early 1970s, Vaughan’s late-night gigs contributed to his neglect in his studies, including music theory; he would often sleep during class.[27] Although his musical career pursuit was disapproved by many of the school’s administrators, he was encouraged by many to strive for a career in art, including his art teacher.[28][nb 6] In his sophomore year, he attended an evening class for experimental art at Southern Methodist University, but bailed when it conflicted with rehearsal.[28] Vaughan later spoke of his dislike of the school and stated that he had to receive a daily note from the principal about his grooming.[29]
First recordings

In September 1970, Vaughan made his first studio recordings with the band Cast of Thousands, which included future actor Stephen Tobolowsky. They recorded two songs, “Red, White and Blue” and “I Heard a Voice Last Night”, for a compilation album, A New Hi, that featured various teenage bands from Dallas.[30] In late January 1971, feeling confined by playing pop hits with Liberation, Vaughan formed his own band, Blackbird. After growing tired of the Dallas music scene, he dropped out of school and moved with the band to Austin, Texas, which had more liberal and tolerant audiences. There, Vaughan initially took residence at the Rolling Hills Country Club, a venue that would later become the Soap Creek Saloon. Blackbird played at several clubs in Austin and opened shows for bands such as Sugarloaf, Wishbone Ash, and Zephyr, but could not maintain a consistent lineup.[31] By the end of the year, he joined a rock band, Krackerjack; he performed with them for less than three months.[32]

In March 1973, Vaughan joined Marc Benno’s band, the Nightcrawlers, after meeting Benno at a jam session years before.[33] The band featured vocalist Doyle Bramhall, who met Vaughan when he was twelve years old.[34] The next month, Vaughan and the Nightcrawlers recorded an album at Sunset Sound Recorders in Hollywood for A&M Records. While the album was rejected by A&M, it included Vaughan’s first songwriting efforts, “Dirty Pool” and “Crawlin'”.[35] Soon afterward, he and the Nightcrawlers traveled back to Austin without Benno.[36] In mid-1973, they signed a contract with Bill Ham, manager for ZZ Top, and played various gigs across the South, though many of them were disastrous.[37] Ham left the band stranded in Mississippi without any way to make it back home and demanded reimbursement from Vaughan for equipment expenses; Ham was never reimbursed.[38][nb 7]

In 1975, Vaughan joined a six-piece band called Paul Ray and the Cobras that included guitarist Denny Freeman and saxophonist Joe Sublett.[39] For the next two-and-a-half years, he earned a living performing weekly at a popular venue in town, the Soap Creek Saloon, and ultimately the newly opened Antone’s, widely known as Austin’s “home of the blues”.[40][nb 8] In late 1976, Vaughan recorded a single with them, “Other Days” as the A-side and “Texas Clover” as the B-side. Playing guitar on both tracks, the single was released on February 7, 1977.[42] In March, readers of the Austin Sun voted them as Band of the Year.[43] In addition to playing with the Cobras, Vaughan jammed with many of his influences at Antone’s, including Buddy Guy, Hubert Sumlin, Jimmy Rogers, Lightnin’ Hopkins, and Albert King.[44]

Vaughan toured with the Cobras during much of 1977, but near the end of September, after they decided to strive for a mainstream musical direction, he left the band and formed Triple Threat Revue, which included singer Lou Ann Barton, bassist W. C. Clark, and drummer Fredde Pharaoh.[45] In January 1978, they recorded four songs in Austin, including Vaughan’s composition “I’m Cryin'”. The thirty minute audio recording marks the only known studio recording of the band.[46]
Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble
A black and white photograph of three men, one is wearing a wide-brimmed black hat.
Double Trouble in 1983

In mid-May 1978, Clark left to form his own group and Vaughan renamed the band Double Trouble, taken from the title of an Otis Rush song.[47] Following the recruit of bassist Jackie Newhouse, Pharaoh quit in July, and was briefly replaced by Jack Moore, who had moved to Texas from Boston; he performed with the band for about two months.[48] Vaughan then began looking for a drummer and soon after, he met Chris Layton through Sublett, who was his roommate. Layton, who had recently parted ways with Greezy Wheels, was taught by Vaughan to play a shuffle rhythm. When Vaughan offered Layton the position, he agreed.[49] In early July, Vaughan befriended Lenora Bailey, known as “Lenny”, who became his girlfriend, and ultimately his wife, a marriage that lasted for six and a half years.[50][nb 9]

In early October 1978, Vaughan and Double Trouble earned a frequent residency performing at one of Austin’s most popular nightspots, the Rome Inn.[52] During a performance, Edi Johnson, an accountant at Manor Downs, noticed Vaughan.[52] She remembered: “I’m not an authority on music—it’s whatever turned me on—but this did.”[53] She recommended him to Manor Downs owner Frances Carr and general manager Chesley Millikin, who was interested in managing artists, and saw Vaughan’s musical potential. After Barton quit Double Trouble in mid-November 1979, Millikin signed Vaughan to a management contract.[54] Vaughan also hired Robert “Cutter” Brandenburg as road manager, whom he had met in 1969.[55] Addressing him as Stevie Ray, Brandenburg convinced Vaughan to use his middle name on stage.[56]

In October 1980, bassist Tommy Shannon attended a Double Trouble performance at Rockefeller’s in Houston. Shannon, who was playing with Alan Haynes at the time, participated in a jam session with Vaughan and Layton halfway through their set. Shannon later commented: “I went down there that night, and I’ll never forget this: it was like, when I walked in the door and I heard them playing, it was like a revelation—’That’s where I want to be; that’s where I belong, right there.’ During the break, I went up to Stevie and told him that. I didn’t try to sneak around and hide it from the bass player [Jackie Newhouse]—I didn’t know if he was listening or not. I just really wanted to be in that band. I sat in that night and it sounded great.”[57] Almost three months later, when Vaughan offered Shannon the position, he readily accepted.[58]
Montreux Jazz Festival

Although popular in Texas at the time, Double Trouble failed to gain national attention. The group’s luck progressed when record producer Jerry Wexler recommended them to Claude Nobs, organizer of the Montreux Jazz Festival. He insisted that the festival’s blues night would be great with Vaughan, whom he called “a jewel, one of those rarities who comes along once in a lifetime”, and Nobs agreed to book Double Trouble on July 17.[59]

Vaughan opened with a medley arrangement of Freddie King’s song “Hide Away” and his own fast instrumental composition, “Rude Mood”. Double Trouble went on to perform renditions of Larry Davis’ “Texas Flood”, Hound Dog Taylor’s “Give Me Back My Wig”, and Albert Collins’ “Collins Shuffle”, as well as three original compositions: “Pride and Joy”, “Love Struck Baby”, and “Dirty Pool”. The set ended with boos from the audience.[60] People’s James McBride wrote:

“He seemed to come out of nowhere, a Zorro-type figure in a riverboat gambler’s hat, roaring into the ’82 Montreux festival with a ’59 Stratocaster at his hip and two flame-throwing sidekicks he called Double Trouble. He had no album, no record contract, no name, but he reduced the stage to a pile of smoking cinders and, afterward, everyone wanted to know who he was.”[61][nb 10]

According to road manager Don Opperman: “The way I remember it, the ‘ooos’ and the ‘boos’ were mixed together, but Stevie was pretty disappointed. Stevie [had] just handed me his guitar and walked off stage, and I’m like, ‘Are you coming back?’ There was a doorway back there; the audience couldn’t see the guys, but I could. He went back to the dressing room with his head in his hands. I went back there finally, and that was the end of the show.”[60] According to Vaughan: “It wasn’t the whole crowd [that booed]. It was just a few people sitting right up front. The room there was built for acoustic jazz. When five or six people boo, wow. It sounds like the whole world hates you. They thought we were too loud, but shoot, I had four army blankets folded over my amp, and the volume level was on 2. I’m used to playin’ on 10!”[64] The performance was filmed and later released on DVD in September 2004.

On the following night, Double Trouble was booked in the lounge of the Montreux Casino, with Jackson Browne in attendance. Browne jammed with Double Trouble until the early morning hours and offered them free use of his personal recording studio in downtown Los Angeles. In late November, the band accepted his offer and recorded ten songs in two days.[65] While they were in the studio, Vaughan received a telephone call from musician David Bowie, who met him after the Montreux performance, and he invited him to participate in a recording session for his next studio album, Let’s Dance.[66] In January 1983, Vaughan recorded guitar on six of the album’s eight songs, including the title track and “China Girl”.[67] The album was released on April 14, 1983 and sold over three times as many copies as Bowie’s previous album.[68]
National success

In mid-March 1983, Gregg Geller, vice president of A&R at Epic Records, signed Double Trouble to the label at the recommendation of record producer John Hammond.[69] Soon afterward, Epic financed a music video for “Love Struck Baby”, which was filmed at the Cherry Tavern in New York City. Vaughan recalled: “We changed the name of the place in the video. Four years ago I got married in a club where we used to play all the time called the Rome Inn. When they closed it down, the owner gave me the sign, so in the video we put that up behind me on the stage.”[70]

With the success of Let’s Dance, Bowie requested Vaughan as the featured instrumentalist for the upcoming Serious Moonlight Tour, realizing that he was an essential aspect of the album’s groundbreaking success.[71] In late April, Vaughan began rehearsals for the tour in Las Colinas, Texas.[72] When contract renegotiations for his performance fee failed, Vaughan abandoned the tour days before its opening date, and he was replaced by Earl Slick.[73] Vaughan commented: “I couldn’t gear everything on something I didn’t really care a whole lot about. It was kind of risky, but I really didn’t need all the headaches.”[74] Although contributing factors were widely disputed, Vaughan soon gained major publicity for quitting the tour.[75]

On May 9, the band performed at The Bottom Line in New York City, where they opened for Bryan Adams, with Hammond, Mick Jagger, John McEnroe, Rick Nielsen, Billy Gibbons, and Johnny Winter in attendance.[76] Brandenburg described the performance as “ungodly”: “I think Stevie played every lick as loud and as hard and with as much intensity as I’ve ever heard him.”[77] The successful performance earned Vaughan a positive review published in the New York Post, asserting that Double Trouble outperformed Adams.[78] “Fortunately, Bryan Adams, the Canadian rocker who is opening arena dates for Journey, doesn’t headline too often”, wrote Martin Porter, who claimed that after the band’s performance, the stage had been “rendered to cinders by the most explosively original showmanship to grace the New York stage in some time.”[77]

Nirvana was an American rock band that was formed by singer/guitarist Kurt Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic in Aberdeen, Washington in 1987. Nirvana went through a succession of drummers, the longest-lasting being Dave Grohl, who joined the band in 1990. Despite releasing only three full-length studio albums in their seven-year career, Nirvana has come to be regarded as one of the most influential and important rock bands of the modern era.

In the late 1980s Nirvana established itself as part of the Seattle grunge scene, releasing its first album Bleach for the independent record label Sub Pop in 1989. The band eventually came to develop a sound that relied on dynamic contrasts, often between quiet verses and loud, heavy choruses. After signing to major label DGC Records, Nirvana found unexpected success with “Smells Like Teen Spirit”, the first single from the band’s second album Nevermind (1991). Nirvana’s sudden success widely popularized alternative rock as a whole, and the band’s frontman Cobain found himself referred to in the media as the “spokesman of a generation”, with Nirvana being considered the “flagship band” of Generation X.[1] In response, Nirvana’s third studio album, In Utero (1993), featured an abrasive, less-mainstream sound and challenged the group’s audience. The album did not match the sales figures of Nevermind but was still a commercial success and critically acclaimed.

Nirvana’s brief run ended following the death of Kurt Cobain in 1994, but various posthumous releases have been issued since, overseen by Novoselic, Grohl, and Cobain’s widow Courtney Love. Since its debut, the band has sold over 25 million records in the United States alone, and over 75 million records worldwide.[2][3] Nirvana was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in its first year of eligibility, in 2014.
Formation and early years

Cobain and Novoselic met while attending Aberdeen High, although they never connected, according to Cobain.[4] The pair eventually became friends while frequenting the practice space of the Melvins.[5] Cobain wanted to form a band with Novoselic, but Novoselic did not respond to his requests, which included giving him a demo tape of his project Fecal Matter. Three years after the two first met, Novoselic notified Cobain that he had finally listened to the Fecal Matter demo Cobain had given him, and suggested they start a group. The pair recruited Bob McFadden on drums, but after a month the project fell apart.[6] In late 1987, Cobain and Novoselic recruited drummer Aaron Burckhard.[7] The three practiced material from Cobain’s Fecal Matter tape, but started writing new material soon after forming.[8]

During its initial months, the band went through a series of names, starting with Skid Row and including Pen Cap Chew, Bliss, and Ted Ed Fred. The group finally settled on Nirvana, which Cobain said was chosen because “I wanted a name that was kind of beautiful or nice and pretty instead of a mean, raunchy punk name like the Angry Samoans”.[9] With Novoselic and Cobain having moved to Tacoma and Olympia, Washington, respectively, the two temporarily lost contact with Burckhard. The pair instead practiced with Dale Crover of the Melvins, and Nirvana recorded its first demos in January 1988.[10] In early 1988, Crover moved to San Francisco but recommended Dave Foster to the band as his replacement on drums.[11] Foster’s tenure with Nirvana lasted only a few months; during a stint in jail, he was replaced by a returning Burckhard, who himself didn’t stay with the band after telling Cobain he was too hung over to practice one day.[12] Cobain and Novoselic put an ad in Seattle music publication The Rocket seeking a replacement drummer which only yielded unsatisfactory responses. Meanwhile, a mutual friend introduced them to Chad Channing, and the three musicians agreed to jam together. Channing continued to jam with Cobain and Novoselic, although the drummer noted, “They never actually said ‘Ok, you’re in.'”, and Channing played his first show with the group that May.[13]
Early releases

Nirvana released its first single, “Love Buzz”, in November 1988 on the Seattle independent record label Sub Pop.[14] The following month, the band began recording its debut album, Bleach, with local producer Jack Endino.[15] Bleach was highly influenced by the heavy dirge-rock of the Melvins and Mudhoney, 1980s punk rock, and the 1970s heavy metal of Black Sabbath. Novoselic said in a 2001 interview with Rolling Stone that the band had played a tape in their van while on tour that had an album by The Smithereens on one side and an album by the black metal band Celtic Frost on the other, and noted that the combination probably played an influence as well.[16] The money for the recording sessions for Bleach, listed as $606.17 on the album sleeve, was supplied by Jason Everman, who was subsequently brought into the band as the second guitarist. Though Everman did not actually play on the album, he received a credit on Bleach because, according to Novoselic, they “wanted to make him feel more at home in the band”.[17] Just prior to the album’s release, Nirvana insisted on signing an extended contract with Sub Pop, making the band the first to do so with the label.[18]

Following the release of Bleach in June 1989, Nirvana embarked on its first national tour,[19] and the album became a favorite of college radio stations.[20] Due to increasing dissatisfaction with Everman over the course of the tour, Nirvana canceled the last few dates and drove back to Washington. No one told Everman he was fired at the time, while Everman later claimed that he actually quit the group.[21] Although Sub Pop did not promote Bleach as much as other releases, it was a steady seller,[22] and had initial sales of 40,000 copies.[23] However, Cobain was upset by the label’s lack of promotion and distribution for the album.[22] In late 1989, the band recorded the Blew EP with producer Steve Fisk.[24]

In a late 1989 interview, Cobain noted that the band’s music was changing. He said, “The early songs were really angry … But as time goes on the songs are getting poppier and poppier as I get happier and happier. The songs are now about conflicts in relationships, emotional things with other human beings”.[25] In April 1990, the band began working with producer Butch Vig at Smart Studios in Madison, Wisconsin on recordings for the follow-up to Bleach.[26] During the sessions, Cobain and Novoselic became disenchanted with Channing’s drumming, and Channing expressed frustration at not being actively involved in songwriting. As bootlegs of Nirvana’s demos with Vig began to circulate in the music industry and draw attention from major labels, Channing left the band.[27] That July, the band recorded the single “Sliver” with Mudhoney drummer Dan Peters.[28] Nirvana asked Dale Crover to fill in on drums for a seven-date American West Coast tour with Sonic Youth that August.[29]

In September 1990, Buzz Osborne of the Melvins introduced the band to Dave Grohl, who was looking for a new band following the sudden break-up of Washington, D.C. hardcore punks Scream.[30] A few days after arriving in Seattle, Novoselic and Cobain auditioned Grohl, with Novoselic later stating, “We knew in two minutes that he was the right drummer”.[31] “I remember being in the same room with them and thinking, What? That’s Nirvana? Are you kidding?” Grohl told Q. “Because on their record cover they looked like psycho lumberjacks… I was like, What, that little dude and that big motherfucker? You’re kidding me. I laughed. I was like, No way.”[32]
Mainstream success

Disenchanted with Sub Pop and with the Smart Studios sessions generating interest, Nirvana decided to look for a deal with a major record label since no indie label could buy the group out of its contract.[33] Following repeated recommendations by Sonic Youth’s Kim Gordon, Nirvana signed to DGC Records in 1990.[34] The band subsequently began recording its first major label album, Nevermind. The group was offered a number of producers to choose from, but ultimately held out for Butch Vig.[35] Rather than recording at Vig’s Madison studio as they had in 1990, production shifted to Sound City Studios in Van Nuys, Los Angeles, California. For two months, the band worked through a variety of songs in its catalog. Some of the songs, such as “In Bloom” and “Breed”, had been in Nirvana’s repertoire for years, while others, including “On a Plain” and “Stay Away,” lacked finished lyrics until mid-way through the recording process.[36] After the recording sessions were completed, Vig and the band set out to mix the album. However, the recording sessions had run behind schedule and the resulting mixes were deemed unsatisfactory. Slayer mixer Andy Wallace was brought in to create the final mix. After the album’s release, members of Nirvana expressed dissatisfaction with the polished sound the mixer had given Nevermind.[37]

Initially, DGC Records was hoping to sell 250,000 copies of Nevermind, which was the same level they had achieved with Sonic Youth’s Goo.[38] However, the album’s first single “Smells Like Teen Spirit” quickly gained momentum, thanks in part to significant airplay of the song’s music video on MTV. As it toured Europe during late 1991, the band found that its shows were dangerously oversold, that television crews were becoming a constant presence onstage, and that “Smells Like Teen Spirit” was almost omnipresent on radio and music television.[39] By Christmas 1991, Nevermind was selling 400,000 copies a week in the US.[40] In January 1992, the album displaced Michael Jackson’s Dangerous at number one on the Billboard album charts, and also topped the charts in numerous other countries.[41] The month Nevermind reached number one, Billboard proclaimed, “Nirvana is that rare band that has everything: critical acclaim, industry respect, pop radio appeal, and a rock-solid college/alternative base.”[42] The album would eventually sell over seven million copies in the United States,[43] and over 30 million worldwide.[44]

Citing exhaustion, Nirvana decided not to undertake another American tour in support of Nevermind, instead opting to make only a handful of performances later that year.[45] In March 1992, Cobain sought to reorganize the group’s songwriting royalties (which to this point had been split equally) so that they were more representative of the fact that he wrote the majority of the music. Grohl and Novoselic did not object to Cobain’s request, but when the frontman asked for the agreement to be retroactive to the release of Nevermind, the disagreements between the two sides came close to breaking up the band. After a week of tension, Cobain ended up receiving a retroactive share of 75 percent of the royalties, and bad feelings about the situation remained within the group afterward.[46] Amid rumors that the band was disbanding due to Cobain’s health, Nirvana headlined the closing night of England’s 1992 Reading Festival, where Cobain personally programmed the performance lineup.[47] Nirvana’s performance at Reading is often regarded by the press as one of the most memorable of the group’s career.[48][49] A few days later, Nirvana performed at the MTV Video Music Awards where, despite the network’s refusal to let the band play the new song “Rape Me” during the broadcast, Cobain strummed and sang the first few bars of the song before breaking into “Lithium”. At the ceremony, the band received awards for the Best Alternative Video and Best New Artist categories.[50]

DGC had hoped to have a new Nirvana album by the band ready for a late 1992 holiday season release; since work on it proceeded slowly, the label released the compilation album Incesticide in December 1992.[51] A joint venture between DGC and Sub Pop, Incesticide collected various rare Nirvana recordings and was intended to provide the material for a better price and at better quality than was available via bootleg copies.[52] As Nevermind had been out for 15 months and had yielded a fourth single in “In Bloom” by that point, Geffen/DGC opted not to heavily promote Incesticide, which was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America the following February.[53]
In Utero, final months, and Cobain’s death
See also: Death of Kurt Cobain
Cobain’s house where he died.

In February 1993, Nirvana released “Puss”/”Oh, the Guilt”, a split single with The Jesus Lizard, on the independent label Touch & Go.[51] Meanwhile, the group chose Steve Albini, who had a reputation as a principled and opinionated individual in the American indie music scene, to record its third album. While there was speculation that the band chose Albini to record the album due to his underground credentials,[54] Cobain insisted that Albini’s sound was simply the one he had always wanted Nirvana to have: a “natural” recording without layers of studio trickery.[55] Nirvana traveled to Pachyderm Studio in Cannon Falls, Minnesota in that February to record the album.[56] The sessions with Albini were productive and notably quick, and the album was recorded and mixed in two weeks for a cost of $25,000.[57]

Several weeks after the completion of the recording sessions, stories ran in the Chicago Tribune and Newsweek that quoted sources claiming DGC considered the album “unreleasable”.[58] As a result, fans began to believe that the band’s creative vision might be compromised by their label.[59] While the stories about DGC shelving the album were untrue, the band actually was unhappy with certain aspects of Albini’s mixes. Specifically, they thought the bass levels were too low,[60] and Cobain felt that “Heart-Shaped Box” and “All Apologies” did not sound “perfect”.[61] Longtime R.E.M. producer Scott Litt was called in to help remix those two songs, with Cobain adding additional instrumentation and backing vocals.[62]

In Utero debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 album chart in September 1993.[63] Time’s Christopher John Farley wrote in his review of the album, “Despite the fears of some alternative-music fans, Nirvana hasn’t gone mainstream, though this potent new album may once again force the mainstream to go Nirvana.”[64] In Utero went on to sell over 3.5 million copies in the United States.[43] That October, Nirvana embarked on its first tour of the United States in two years. For the tour, the band added Pat Smear of the punk rock band Germs as a second guitarist.[65] In November 1993, Nirvana recorded a performance for the television program MTV Unplugged. Augmented by Smear and cellist Lori Goldston, the band sought to veer from the typical approach to the show, opting to stay away from playing its most recognizable songs. Instead, Nirvana performed several covers, and invited Cris and Curt Kirkwood of the Meat Puppets to join the group for renditions of three of their songs.[66]

In early 1994, the band embarked on a European tour. Nirvana’s final concert took place in Munich, Germany, on March 1. In Rome, on the morning of March 4, Cobain’s wife, Courtney Love, found Cobain unconscious in their hotel room and he was rushed to the hospital. A doctor from the hospital told a press conference that Cobain had reacted to a combination of prescription Rohypnol and alcohol. The rest of the tour was canceled.[67] In the ensuing weeks, Cobain’s heroin addiction resurfaced. An intervention was organized, and Cobain was convinced to admit himself into drug rehabilitation. After less than a week in rehabilitation, Cobain climbed over the wall of the facility and took a plane back to Seattle. A week later, on Friday, April 8, 1994, Cobain was found dead of a possible self-inflicted shotgun wound to the head at his Seattle home.[68]
Aftermath and posthumous releases

In August 1994, DGC announced that a double album titled Verse Chorus Verse featuring live material from throughout the group’s career on one CD and its MTV Unplugged performance on another was due for release that November.[51] However, Novoselic and Grohl found assembling the live material so soon after Cobain’s death to be too emotionally overwhelming.[69] With the career-spanning live portion postponed, MTV Unplugged in New York debuted at number one on the Billboard charts upon release in November 1994. A few weeks later the group’s first full-length video, Live! Tonight! Sold Out!!, was released.[51] The following year, MTV Unplugged in New York earned Nirvana a Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album.[70] In 1996 DGC finally issued a Nirvana live album, From the Muddy Banks of the Wishkah, which became the third Nirvana release in a row to debut at the top of the Billboard album chart.[51]

In 1997, Novoselic, Grohl, and Courtney Love formed the limited liability company Nirvana LLC to oversee all Nirvana-related projects.[71] A 45-track box set of Nirvana rarities was scheduled for release in October 2001.[72] However, shortly before the release date, Love filed a suit to dissolve Nirvana LLC, and an injunction was issued preventing the release of any new Nirvana material until the case was resolved.[73] Love contended that Cobain was the band, that Grohl and Novoselic were sidemen, and that she signed the partnership agreement originally under bad advice. Grohl and Novoselic countersued, asking the court to remove Love from the partnership and to replace her with another representative of Cobain’s estate.[72]

The day before the case was set to go to trial in October 2002, Love, Novoselic, and Grohl announced that they had reached a settlement. The settlement paved the way for the release of the compilation album Nirvana, which featured the previously unreleased track “You Know You’re Right”, the last song Nirvana recorded before Cobain’s death.[74] Nirvana was released later that month, debuting at number three on the Billboard album chart.[75] The box set, With the Lights Out, was finally released in November 2004. The release contained a vast array of early Cobain demos, rough rehearsal recordings, and live tracks recorded throughout the band’s history. Sliver: The Best of the Box, which culled 19 tracks from the box set in addition to featuring three previously unreleased tracks, was released in late 2005.[76]

In April 2006, Love announced that she had arranged to sell 25 percent of her stake in the Nirvana song catalog in a deal estimated at $50 million. The share of Nirvana’s publishing was purchased by Primary Wave Music, which was founded by Larry Mestel, a former CEO of Virgin Records. In an accompanying statement, Love sought to assure Nirvana’s fanbase that the music would not simply be licensed to the highest bidder, noting, “We are going to remain very tasteful and true to the spirit of Nirvana while taking the music to places it has never been before.”[77] Further releases have since been made. This includes the DVD releases of Live! Tonight! Sold Out!! in 2006,[78] and the full, uncut version of MTV Unplugged in New York in 2007.[79] The band’s performance at the 1992 Reading Festival was released on both CD and DVD as Live at Reading in November 2009.[80] That month, Sub Pop released a 20th anniversary deluxe edition of Bleach,[81] and DGC released a number of 20th anniversary deluxe-edition packages of both Nevermind in September 2011[82] and In Utero in September 2013.[83]

In 2012, Grohl, Novoselic, and Smear joined Paul McCartney at 12-12-12: The Concert for Sandy Relief.[84] The performance featured the premiere of a new song written by the four musicians entitled “Cut Me Some Slack”. A studio recording was released on the soundtrack to Sound City, a film by Grohl.[85][86] On July 19, 2013, they would once again play with McCartney during the encore of his Safeco Field “Out There” concert in Seattle, the first time Nirvana members played together in their hometown in over 15 years.[87][88]

In 2014, Nirvana was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame; the members inducted were Cobain, Novoselic, and Grohl. At the induction ceremony, Novoselic, Grohl and Smear performed a four-song set with guest vocalists Joan Jett, Kim Gordon, St. Vincent, and Lorde.[89][90] Novoselic, Grohl & Smear then performed a full show at Brooklyn’s St. Vitus Bar with Jett, Gordon, St. Vincent, J Mascis, and John McCauley as guest vocalists.[91]

Pearl Jam is an American rock band, formed in Seattle, Washington in 1990. Since its inception, the band’s line-up has included Stone Gossard (guitar), Jeff Ament (bass), Mike McCready (guitar), and Eddie Vedder (vocals). The band’s fifth and current drummer is Matt Cameron of Soundgarden, who has been with the band since 1998.

Formed after the demise of Gossard and Ament’s previous band, Mother Love Bone, Pearl Jam broke into the mainstream with its debut album, Ten, in 1991. One of the key bands of the grunge movement in the early 1990s, over the course of the band’s career, its members became noted for their refusal to adhere to traditional music industry practices, including refusing to make music videos or give interviews and engaging in a much-publicized boycott of Ticketmaster. In 2006, Rolling Stone described the band as having “spent much of the past decade deliberately tearing apart their own fame.”[1]

To date, the band has sold more than 31.5 million records in the U.S,[2] and an estimated 60 million worldwide.[3][4] Pearl Jam has outlasted and outsold many of its contemporaries from the alternative rock breakthrough of the early 1990s, and is considered one of the most influential bands of the decade.[5] Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic referred to Pearl Jam as “the most popular American rock & roll band of the ’90s.”[6]

History
Formation and early years: 1984–1990

Stone Gossard and Jeff Ament were members of pioneering grunge band Green River during the mid-1980s. Green River toured and recorded to moderate success but disbanded in 1987 due to a stylistic division between the pair and bandmates Mark Arm and Steve Turner.[7] In late 1987, Gossard and Ament began playing with Malfunkshun vocalist Andrew Wood, eventually organizing the band Mother Love Bone. In 1988 and 1989, the band recorded and toured to increasing interest and found the support of the PolyGram record label, which signed the band in early 1989. Mother Love Bone’s debut album, Apple, was released in July 1990, four months after Wood died of a heroin overdose.[8]

Ament and Gossard were devastated by the death of Wood and the resulting demise of Mother Love Bone. Gossard spent his time afterwards writing material that was harder-edged than what he had been doing previously.[9] After a few months, Gossard started practicing with fellow Seattle guitarist Mike McCready, whose band, Shadow, had broken up; McCready in turn encouraged Gossard to reconnect with Ament.[1] After practicing for a while, the trio sent out a five-song demo tape in order to find a singer and a drummer. They gave former Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Jack Irons the demo to see if he would be interested in joining the band and to distribute the demo to anyone he felt might fit the lead vocal position.[9]

Irons passed on the invitation but gave the demo to his basketball buddy, San Diego, California singer Eddie Vedder.[10] Vedder was the lead vocalist for a San Diego band, Bad Radio, and worked part-time at a gas station. He listened to the tape shortly before going surfing, where lyrics came to him.[9] He then recorded the vocals to three of the songs (“Alive”, “Once”, and “Footsteps”) in what he later described as a “mini-opera” entitled Momma-Son.[11] Vedder sent the tape with his vocals back to the three Seattle musicians, who were impressed enough to fly Vedder up to Seattle for an audition. Within a week, Vedder had joined the band.[9]

With the addition of Dave Krusen on drums, the band took the name Mookie Blaylock, in reference to the then-active All-Star basketball player. The band played its first official show at the Off Ramp Café in Seattle on October 22, 1990,[12] and soon signed to Epic Records and renamed themselves Pearl Jam.[6] In an early promotional interview, Vedder said that the name “Pearl Jam” was a reference to his great-grandmother Pearl, who was married to a Native American and had a special recipe for peyote-laced jam.[13] In a 2006 Rolling Stone cover story however, Vedder admitted that this story was “total bullshit”, even though he indeed had a great-grandma named Pearl. Ament and McCready explained that Ament came up with “pearl”, and that the band later settled on “Pearl Jam” after attending a concert by Neil Young, in which he extended his songs as improvisations of 15–20 minutes in length.[1]
Ten and the grunge explosion: 1991–1992

Pearl Jam entered Seattle’s London Bridge Studios in March 1991 to record its debut album, Ten[14] McCready said that “Ten was mostly Stone and Jeff; me and Eddie were along for the ride at that time.”[15] Krusen left the band in May 1991 after checking himself into rehabilitation;[16] he was replaced by Matt Chamberlain, who had previously played with Edie Brickell & New Bohemians. After playing only a handful of shows, one of which was filmed for the “Alive” video, Chamberlain left to join the Saturday Night Live band.[17] Chamberlain suggested Dave Abbruzzese as his replacement. Abbruzzese joined the group and played the rest of Pearl Jam’s live shows supporting Ten.

Released on August 27, 1991, Ten (named after Mookie Blaylock’s jersey number)[13] contained eleven tracks dealing with dark subjects like depression, suicide, loneliness, and murder. Ten’s musical style, influenced by classic rock, combined an “expansive harmonic vocabulary” with an anthemic sound.[18] The album was slow to sell, but by the second half of 1992 it became a breakthrough success, being certified gold and reaching number two on the Billboard charts.[14] Ten produced the hit singles “Alive”, “Even Flow”, and “Jeremy”. Originally interpreted as an anthem by many,[9] Vedder later revealed that “Alive” tells the semi-biographical tale of a son discovering that his father is actually his stepfather, while his mother’s grief turns her to sexually embrace her son, who strongly resembles the biological father.[9] The song “Jeremy” (About this sound sample (help·info)) and its accompanying video were inspired by a true story in which a high school student shot himself in front of his classmates.[19] Ten stayed on the Billboard charts for more than two years, and has gone on to become one of the highest-selling rock records ever, going 13x platinum.[20]

With the success of Ten, Pearl Jam became a key member of the Seattle grunge explosion, along with Alice in Chains, Nirvana, and Soundgarden. The band was criticized in the music press; British music magazine NME said that Pearl Jam was “trying to steal money from young alternative kids’ pockets.”[21] Nirvana’s Kurt Cobain angrily attacked Pearl Jam, claiming the band were commercial sellouts,[22] and argued Ten was not a true alternative album because it had so many prominent guitar leads.[14] Cobain later reconciled with Vedder, and they reportedly were on amicable terms before Cobain’s death in 1994.[1]

Pearl Jam toured relentlessly in support of Ten. Ament stated that “essentially Ten was just an excuse to tour,” adding, “We told the record company, ‘We know we can be a great band, so let’s just get the opportunity to get out and play.'”[23] The band’s manager, Kelly Curtis, stated, “Once people came and saw them live, this lightbulb would go on. Doing their first tour, you kind of knew it was happening and there was no stopping it.”[15] Early on in Pearl Jam’s career, the band became known for its intense live performances. Looking back at this time, Vedder said that “playing music and then getting a shot at making a record and at having an audience and stuff, it’s just like an untamed force…But it didn’t come from jock mentality. It came from just being let out of the gates.”[24] In 1992, Pearl Jam made television appearances on Saturday Night Live and MTV Unplugged and took a slot on that summer’s Lollapalooza tour with the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Soundgarden, and Ministry, among others. The band contributed two songs to the soundtrack of the 1992 Cameron Crowe film Singles: “State of Love and Trust” and “Breath”. Ament, Gossard and Vedder appeared in Singles under the name “Citizen Dick”; their parts were filmed when Pearl Jam was known as Mookie Blaylock.
Vs., Vitalogy and dealing with success: 1993–1995

The band members grew uncomfortable with their success, with much of the burden of Pearl Jam’s popularity falling on frontman Vedder.[9] While Pearl Jam received four awards at the 1993 MTV Video Music Awards for its video for “Jeremy”, including Video of the Year and Best Group Video, the band refused to make a video for “Black” in spite of pressure by the label. This action began a trend of the band refusing to make videos for its songs. Vedder felt that the concept of music videos robbed the listener from creating their own interpretation of the song, stating that “Before music videos first came out, you’d listen to a song with headphones on, sitting in a beanbag chair with your eyes closed, and you’d come up with your own visions, these things that came from within. Then all of a sudden, sometimes even the very first time you heard a song, it was with these visual images attached, and it robbed you of any form of self-expression.”[25] “Ten years from now,” Ament said, “I don’t want people to remember our songs as videos.”[9]

Pearl Jam headed into the studio in early 1993 facing the challenge of following up the commercial success of its debut. McCready said, “The band was blown up pretty big and everything was pretty crazy.”[26] Released on October 19, 1993, Pearl Jam’s second album, Vs., sold 950,378 copies in its first week of release and outperformed all other entries in the Billboard top ten that week combined.[27] The album set the record for most copies of an album sold in its first week of release, which it held until broken by Garth Brooks’ 1998 album, Double Live.[28] Vs. included the singles “Go”, “Daughter”, “Animal”, and “Dissident”. Paul Evans of Rolling Stone said, “Few American bands have arrived more clearly talented than this one did with Ten; and Vs. tops even that debut.” He added, “Like Jim Morrison and Pete Townshend, Vedder makes a forte of his psychological-mythic explorations… As guitarists Stone Gossard and Mike McCready paint dense and slashing backdrops, he invites us into a drama of experiment and strife.”[29] The band decided, beginning with the release of Vs., to scale back its commercial efforts.[30] The members declined to produce any more music videos after the massive success of “Jeremy” and opted for fewer interviews and television appearances. Industry insiders compared Pearl Jam’s tour that year to the touring habits of Led Zeppelin, in that the band “ignored the press and took its music directly to the fans.”[31] During the Vs. Tour, the band set a cap on ticket prices in an attempt to thwart scalpers.[32]

By 1994, Pearl Jam was “fighting on all fronts”, as its manager described the band at the time.[33] Reporter Chuck Philips broke a series of stories showing that Ticketmaster was gouging Pearl Jam’s customers.[34] Pearl Jam was outraged when, after it played a pair of shows in Chicago, Illinois, it discovered that ticket vendor Ticketmaster had added a service charge to the tickets. Pearl Jam was committed to keeping their concert ticket prices down but Fred Rosen of Ticketmaster, refused to waive the service charge. Since Ticketmaster controlled most major venues, the band was forced to create from scratch its own outdoor stadiums in rural areas in order to perform. Pearl Jam’s efforts to organize a tour without the ticket giant collapsed which Pearl Jam said was evidence of Ticketmaster’s monopoly. An analysis of journalist Chuck Philips investigative series[35][36][37][38][39][40] in a well known legal monograph[41] concluded that it was hard to imagine a legitimate reason for Ticketmaster’s exclusive contracts with venues and contracts which covered such a lengthy period of time. The authors said, “The pervasiveness of Ticketmaster’s exclusive agreements, coupled with their excessive duration and the manner in which they are procured, supported a finding that Ticketmaster had engaged in anticompetitive conduct under section 2 of the Sherman Act.” The United States Department of Justice was investigating the company’s practices at the time and asked the band to create a memorandum of its experiences with the company. Band members Gossard and Ament testified at a subcommittee investigation on June 30, 1994 in Washington, D.C.[42] Pearl Jam alleged that Ticketmaster used anti-competitive and monopolistic practices to gouge fans. After Pearl Jam’s testimony before Congress, Congressman Dingell (D-Mich.) wrote a bill requiring full disclosure to prevent Ticketmaster from burying escalating service fees. Pearl Jam’s manager said he was gratified that Congress recognized the problem as a national issue.[43] The band eventually canceled its 1994 summer tour in protest.[44] After the Justice Department dropped the case, Pearl Jam continued to boycott Ticketmaster, refusing to play venues that had contracts with the company.[45] Music critic Jim DeRogatis noted that along with the Ticketmaster debacle, “the band has refused to release singles or make videos; it has demanded that its albums be released on vinyl; and it wants to be more like its ’60s heroes, The Who, releasing two or three albums a year.” He also stated that sources said that most of the band’s third album Vitalogy was completed by early 1994, but that either a forced delay by Epic or the battle with Ticketmaster were to blame for the delay.[33]

Pearl Jam wrote and recorded while touring behind Vs. and the majority of the tracks for its next album, Vitalogy, were recorded during breaks on the tour. Tensions within the band had dramatically increased by this time. Producer Brendan O’Brien said, “Vitalogy was a little strained. I’m being polite—there was some imploding going on.”[15] After Pearl Jam finished the recording of Vitalogy, drummer Dave Abbruzzese was fired. The band cited political differences between Abbruzzese and the other members; for example, Abbruzzese disagreed with the Ticketmaster boycott.[15] He was replaced by Jack Irons, a close friend of Vedder and the former and original drummer of the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Irons made his debut with the band at Neil Young’s 1994 Bridge School Benefit, but he was not officially announced as the band’s new drummer until its 1995 Self-Pollution satellite radio broadcast, a four-and-a-half-hour long pirate broadcast out of Seattle which was available to any radio stations that wanted to carry it.[46]

Vitalogy was released first on November 22, 1994 on vinyl and then two weeks later on December 6, 1994 on CD and cassette. The CD became the second-fastest-selling in history, with more than 877,000 units sold in its first week.[12] Stephen Thomas Erlewine of Allmusic said that “thanks to its stripped-down, lean production, Vitalogy stands as Pearl Jam’s most original and uncompromising album.”[47] Many of the songs on the album appear to be based around the pressures of fame.[48] The song “Spin the Black Circle”, an homage to vinyl records, won a Grammy Award in 1996 for Best Hard Rock Performance. Vitalogy also included the songs “Not for You”, “Corduroy”, “Better Man”, and “Immortality”. “Better Man” (sample (info)), a song originally written and performed by Vedder while in Bad Radio, reached number one on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart, spending a total of eight weeks there. Considered a “blatantly great pop song” by producer Brendan O’Brien, Pearl Jam was reluctant to record it and had initially rejected it from Vs. due to its accessibility.[15]

The band continued its boycott against Ticketmaster during its 1995 tour for Vitalogy, but was surprised that virtually no other bands joined in.[49] Pearl Jam’s initiative to play only at non-Ticketmaster venues effectively, with a few exceptions, prevented it from playing shows in the United States for the next three years.[50] Ament later said, “We were so hardheaded about the 1995 tour. Had to prove we could tour on our own, and it pretty much killed us, killed our career.”[15] In the same year Pearl Jam backed Neil Young, whom the band had noted as an influence, on his album Mirror Ball. Contractual obligations prevented the use of the band’s name anywhere on the album, but the members were all credited individually in the album’s liner notes.[6] Two songs from the sessions were left off Mirror Ball: “I Got Id” and “Long Road”. These two tracks were released separately by Pearl Jam in the form of the 1995 EP, Merkin Ball.
No Code and Yield: 1996–1999

Following the round of touring for Vitalogy, the band went into the studio to record its follow-up, No Code. Vedder said, “Making No Code was all about gaining perspective.”[51] Released in 1996, No Code was seen as a deliberate break from the band’s sound since Ten,[52] favoring experimental ballads and noisy garage rockers. David Browne of Entertainment Weekly stated that “No Code displays a wider range of moods and instrumentation than on any previous Pearl Jam album.”[53] The lyrical themes on the album deal with issues of self-examination,[54] with Ament stating, “In some ways, it’s like the band’s story. It’s about growing up.”[54] Although the album debuted at number one on the Billboard charts, it quickly fell down the charts. No Code included the singles “Who You Are” (About this sound sample (help·info)), “Hail, Hail”, and “Off He Goes”. As with Vitalogy, very little touring was done to promote No Code because of the band’s refusal to play in Ticketmaster’s venue areas. A European tour took place in the fall of 1996. Gossard stated that there was “a lot of stress associated with trying to tour at that time” and that “it was growing more and more difficult to be excited about being part of the band.”[15]
Lead guitarist Mike McCready in Columbia, Maryland on September 18, 1998.

Following the short tour for No Code, the band went into the studio in 1997 to record its follow-up. The sessions for the band’s fifth album represented more of a team effort between all members of the group, with Ament stating that “everybody really got a little bit of their say on the record…because of that, everybody feels like they’re an integral part of the band.”[55] On February 3, 1998, Pearl Jam released its fifth album, Yield. The album was cited as a return to the band’s early, straightforward rock sound.[56] Tom Sinclair of Entertainment Weekly stated that the band has “turned in an intermittently affecting album that veers between fiery garage rock and rootsy, acoustic-based ruminations. Perhaps mindful of their position as the last alt-rock ambassadors with any degree of clout, they’ve come up with their most cohesive album since their 1991 debut, Ten.”[57] Lyrically, Yield continued with the more contemplative type of writing found on No Code,[58] with Vedder saying, “What was rage in the past has become reflection.”[59] Yield debuted at number two on the Billboard charts, but like No Code soon began dropping down the charts.[60] It included the singles “Given to Fly” and “Wishlist”. The band hired comic book artist Todd McFarlane to create an animated video for the song “Do the Evolution” from the album, its first music video since 1992.[61] A documentary detailing the making of Yield, Single Video Theory, was released on VHS and DVD later that year.

In April 1998, Pearl Jam once again changed drummers. Jack Irons left the band due to dissatisfaction with touring and was replaced with former Soundgarden drummer Matt Cameron on an initially temporary basis,[62] but he soon became a permanent replacement for Irons. Pearl Jam’s 1998 Yield Tour in North America marked the band’s return to full-scale touring. The band’s anti-trust lawsuit against Ticketmaster had proven to be unsuccessful and hindered live tours. Many fans had complained about the difficulty in obtaining tickets and the use of non-Ticketmaster venues, which were judged to be out-of-the-way and impersonal. For this tour and future tours, Pearl Jam once again began using Ticketmaster in order to “better accommodate concertgoers.”[63] The 1998 summer tour was a big success,[64] and after it was completed the band released Live on Two Legs, a live album which featured select performances from the tour.

In 1998, Pearl Jam recorded “Last Kiss”, a cover of a 1960s ballad made famous by J. Frank Wilson and the Cavaliers. It was recorded during a soundcheck and released on the band’s 1998 fan club Christmas single. The following year, the cover was put into heavy rotation across the country. By popular demand, the cover was released to the public as a single in 1999, with all of the proceeds going to the aid of refugees of the Kosovo War.[12] The band also decided to include the song on the 1999 charity compilation album, No Boundaries: A Benefit for the Kosovar Refugees. “Last Kiss” peaked at number two on the Billboard charts and became the band’s highest-charting single.
Binaural and the Roskilde tragedy: 2000–2001
Pearl Jam in Columbia, Maryland on September 4, 2000.

Following its full-scale tour in support of Yield, the band took a short break, but then reconvened toward the end of 1999 and commenced work on a new album. On May 16, 2000, Pearl Jam released its sixth studio album, Binaural. It was drummer Matt Cameron’s studio recording debut with the band. The title is a reference to the binaural recording techniques that were utilized on several tracks by producer Tchad Blake, known for his use of the technique.[65] Binaural was the first album since the band’s debut not produced by Brendan O’Brien, although O’Brien was called in later to remix several tracks. Gossard stated that the band members “were ready for a change.”[26] Jon Pareles of Rolling Stone said, “Apparently as tired of grunge as everyone except Creed fans, Pearl Jam delve elsewhere.” He added, “The album reflects both Pearl Jam’s longstanding curse of self-importance and a renewed willingness to be experimental or just plain odd.”[66] The album is lyrically darker than the band’s previous album Yield, with Gossard describing the lyrics as “pretty sombre.”[58] Binaural included the singles “Nothing as It Seems” (About this sound sample (help·info)), one of the songs featuring binaural recording, and “Light Years”. The album sold just over 700,000 copies and became the first Pearl Jam studio album to fail to reach platinum status.[67]

Pearl Jam decided to record every show on its 2000 Binaural Tour professionally, after noting the desire of fans to own a copy of the shows they attended and the popularity of bootleg recordings. The band had been open in the past about allowing fans to make amateur recordings,[68] and these “official bootlegs” were an attempt to provide a more affordable and better quality product for fans.[69] Pearl Jam originally intended to release them to only fan club members, but the band’s record contract prevented it from doing so. Pearl Jam released all of the albums in record stores as well as through its fan club. The band released 72 live albums in 2000 and 2001, and twice set a record for most albums to debut in the Billboard 200 at the same time.[70][71]

Pearl Jam’s 2000 European tour ended in tragedy on June 30, with an accident at the Roskilde Festival in Denmark. Nine fans were crushed underfoot and suffocated to death as the crowd rushed to the front. After numerous requests for the crowd to step back, the band stopped playing and tried to calm the crowd when the musicians realized what was happening, but it was already too late. The two remaining dates of the tour were canceled and members of the band contemplated retiring after this event.[72] Pearl Jam was initially blamed for the accident, but was later cleared of responsibility.[73]

A month after the European tour concluded, the band embarked on its two-leg 2000 North American tour. On performing after the Roskilde tragedy, Vedder said that “playing, facing crowds, being together—it enabled us to start processing it.”[15] On October 22, 2000, the band played the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, celebrating the tenth anniversary of its first live performance as a band. Vedder took the opportunity to thank the many people who had helped the band come together and make it to ten years. He noted that “I would never do this accepting a Grammy or something.”[74] After concluding the Binaural Tour, the band released Touring Band 2000 the following year. The DVD featured select performances from the North American legs of the tour.

Following the events of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, Vedder and McCready were joined by Neil Young to perform the song “Long Road” from the Merkin Ball EP at the America: A Tribute to Heroes benefit concert. The concert, which aired on September 21, 2001, raised money for the victims and their families.
Riot Act: 2002–2005

Pearl Jam commenced work on a new album following a year-long break after its full-scale tour in support of Binaural. McCready described the recording environment as “a pretty positive one” and “very intense and spiritual.”[75] Regarding the time period when the lyrics were being written, Vedder said, “There’s been a lot of mortality…It’s a weird time to be writing. Roskilde changed the shape of us as people, and our filter for seeing the world changed.”[76] Pearl Jam released its seventh album, Riot Act, on November 12, 2002. It included the singles “I Am Mine” and “Save You”. The album featured a much more folk-based and experimental sound, evident in the presence of B3 organist Boom Gaspar on songs such as “Love Boat Captain”. Stephen Thomas Erlewine of Allmusic said “Riot Act is the album that Pearl Jam has been wanting to make since Vitalogy—a muscular art rock record, one that still hits hard but that is filled with ragged edges and odd detours.”[77] The track entitled “Arc” was recorded as a vocal tribute to the nine people who died at the Roskilde Festival in June 2000. Vedder only performed this song nine times on the 2003 tour, and the band left the track off all released bootlegs.[78]

In 2003, the band embarked on its Riot Act Tour, which included tours in Australia and North America. The band continued its official bootleg program, making every concert from the tour available in CD form through its official website. A total of six bootlegs were made available in record stores: Perth, Tokyo, State College, Pennsylvania, two shows from Madison Square Garden, and Mansfield, Massachusetts. At many shows during the 2003 North American tour, Vedder performed Riot Act’s “Bu$hleaguer”, a commentary on President George W. Bush, with a rubber mask of Bush, wearing it at the beginning of the song and then hanging it on a mic stand to allow him to sing. The band made news when it was reported that several fans left after Vedder had “impaled” the Bush mask on his mic stand at the band’s Denver, Colorado show.[79]

In June 2003, Pearl Jam announced it was officially leaving Epic Records following the end of its contract with the label. The band stated it had “no interest” in signing with another label.[80] The band’s first release without a label was the single for “Man of the Hour”, in partnership with Amazon.com.[81] Director Tim Burton approached Pearl Jam to request an original song for the soundtrack of his new film, Big Fish. After screening an early print of the film, Pearl Jam recorded the song for him. “Man of the Hour”, which was later nominated for a Golden Globe Award, can be heard in the closing credits of Big Fish.

The band released Lost Dogs, a two-disc collection of rarities and B-sides, and Live at the Garden, a DVD featuring the band’s July 8, 2003 concert at Madison Square Garden through Epic Records in November 2003. In 2004, Pearl Jam released the live album, Live at Benaroya Hall, through a one-album deal with BMG.[82] 2004 marked the first time that Pearl Jam licensed a song for usage in a television show; a snippet of the song “Yellow Ledbetter” was used in the final episode of the television series Friends.[83] Later that year, Epic released rearviewmirror (Greatest Hits 1991–2003), a Pearl Jam greatest hits collection spanning 1991 to 2003. This release marked the end of Pearl Jam’s contractual agreement with Epic Records.[84]

Pearl Jam played a show at Easy Street Records in Seattle in April 2005; recordings from the show were compiled for the Live at Easy Street album and released exclusively to independent record stores in June 2006. The band embarked on a Canadian cross-country tour in September 2005, kicking off the tour with a fundraising concert in Missoula, Montana for Democratic politician Jon Tester, then playing the Gorge Amphitheater before crossing into Canada. After touring Canada, Pearl Jam proceeded to open a Rolling Stones concert in Pittsburgh, then played two shows at the Borgata casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey, before closing the tour with a concert in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The official bootlegs for the band’s 2005 shows were distributed via Pearl Jam’s official website in MP3 form. Pearl Jam also played a benefit concert to raise money for Hurricane Katrina relief on October 5, 2005, at the House of Blues in Chicago, Illinois. On November 22, 2005, Pearl Jam began its first Latin American tour.[85]
Move to J Records and Pearl Jam: 2006–2008
Frontman Eddie Vedder in Pistoia, Italy on September 20, 2006.

The work for Pearl Jam’s follow-up to Riot Act began after its appearance on the 2004 Vote for Change tour. The time period between the two albums was the longest gap between Pearl Jam’s studio albums to date and the new album was its first release for a new label. Clive Davis announced in February 2006 that Pearl Jam had signed with his label, J Records, which like Epic, is part of Sony Music Entertainment (then known as Sony BMG), though J has since folded into RCA Records.[86] The band’s eighth studio album, Pearl Jam, was released on May 2, 2006. A number of critics cited Pearl Jam as a return to the band’s early sound,[87][88] and McCready compared the new material to Vs. in a 2005 interview.[89] Ament said, “The band playing in a room—that came across. There’s a kind of immediacy to the record, and that’s what we were going for.”[90] Chris Willman of Entertainment Weekly said that “in a world full of boys sent to do a man’s job of rocking, Pearl Jam can still pull off gravitas.”[91] Current socio-political issues in the United States are addressed on the album. “World Wide Suicide”, a song criticizing the Iraq War and U.S. foreign policy, was released as a single and topped the Billboard Modern Rock chart; it was Pearl Jam’s first number one on that chart since “Who You Are” in 1996, and first number one on any chart in the United States since 1998 when “Given to Fly” reached number one on the Mainstream Rock chart. Pearl Jam also included the singles “Life Wasted” and “Gone”.

To support Pearl Jam, the band embarked on its 2006 world tour. It toured North America, Australia and notably Europe; Pearl Jam had not toured the continent for six years. The North American tour included three two-night stands opening for Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.[92] The band served as the headliners for the Leeds and Reading festivals, despite having vowed to never play at a festival again after Roskilde. Vedder started both concerts with an emotional plea to the crowd to look after each other. He commented during the Leeds set that the band’s decision to play a festival for the first time after Roskilde had nothing to do with “guts” but with trust in the audience.[93]

In 2007, Pearl Jam recorded a cover of The Who’s “Love, Reign o’er Me” for the Mike Binder film, Reign Over Me; it was later made available as a music download on the iTunes Music Store.[94] The band embarked on a 13-date European tour, and headlined Lollapalooza in Grant Park, on August 5, 2007.[95] The band released a CD box set in June 2007, entitled Live at the Gorge 05/06, that documents its shows at The Gorge Amphitheatre,[96] and in September 2007 a concert DVD, entitled Immagine in Cornice, which documents the band’s Italian shows from its 2006 tour was released.[97]

In June 2008, Pearl Jam performed as the headline act at the Bonnaroo Music Festival.[98] The Bonnaroo appearance took place amidst a twelve-date tour in the Eastern United States.[99] In July 2008, the band performed at the VH1 tribute to The Who alongside Foo Fighters, Incubus and The Flaming Lips.[100] In the days prior to Election Day 2008, Pearl Jam digitally released through its official website a free documentary film, entitled Vote for Change? 2004, which follows the band’s time spent on the 2004 Vote for Change tour.[101]
Reissues and Backspacer: 2009–2012

In March 2009, Ten was reissued in four editions, featuring such extras as a remastering and remix of the entire album by Brendan O’Brien, a DVD of the band’s 1992 appearance on MTV Unplugged, and an LP of its September 20, 1992 concert at Magnuson Park in Seattle.[102] It was the first reissue in a planned re-release of Pearl Jam’s entire catalog that led up to the band’s 20th anniversary in 2011.[102] A Pearl Jam retrospective film directed by Cameron Crowe titled Pearl Jam Twenty[103] was also planned to coincide with the anniversary.[104] In 2011, Vs. and Vitalogy were reissued in the spring time in deluxe form.[103]

Pearl Jam began work for the follow-up to Pearl Jam in early 2008.[105] In 2009, the band began to build on instrumental and demo tracks written during 2008.[106] The band’s ninth studio album, Backspacer, its first to be produced by Brendan O’Brien since Yield.[105] Backspacer debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard music charts, the band’s first album to do so since No Code in 1996[citation needed] and has sold 635,000 copies as of July 2013, according to Nielsen SoundScan.[107] The music on the record features a sound influenced by pop and new wave.[108] Stephen Thomas Erlewine of Allmusic said that “prior to Backspacer, Pearl Jam wouldn’t or couldn’t have made music this unfettered, unapologetically assured, casual, and, yes, fun.”[109] Regarding the lyrics, Vedder said, “I’ve tried, over the years, to be hopeful in the lyrics, and I think that’s going to be easier now.”[110] “The Fixer” was chosen as the album’s first single.[111] Pearl Jam did not re-sign its record deal with J Records, and the band released the album through its own label Monkeywrench Records in the United States and through Universal Music Group internationally. Pearl Jam reached a deal with Target to be the exclusive big-box store retailer for the album in the United States. The album also saw release through the band’s official website, independent record stores, online retailers, and iTunes.[112][113] In an interview McCready revealed that Pearl Jam may finish the Backspacer outtakes in the next six months,[114] and told San Diego radio station KBZT that the band may release an EP in 2010 consisting of those songs, while Vedder instead suggested that the songs may be used for the band’s next studio album.[115]

In August 2009, Pearl Jam headlined the Virgin Festival,[116] the Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival,[117] and played five shows in Europe and three in North America.[118][119][120] In October 2009, Pearl Jam headlined the Austin City Limits Music Festival.[121] Later in October on Halloween night, the band played in what was the last performance at the Philadelphia Spectrum. An additional leg consisting of a tour of Oceania took place afterwards.[113] In May 2010, the band embarked on a month long tour starting with the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. The tour headed to the East Coast and ended May 21, 2010 at Madison Square Garden in New York.[122] A European tour took place in June and July 2010, where the band performed in Northern Ireland for the first time at the Odyssey Arena in Belfast.[123] In late October 2010, Pearl Jam performed at the 24th Annual Bridge School Benefit Concert at the Shoreline Amphitheater in Mountain View, California.[124] A live album, titled Live on Ten Legs, was released on January 17, 2011.[125] It is compilation of live tracks from their 2003 to 2010 world tours, and is a follow-up to Live on Two Legs, which consisted of songs recorded during their 1998 North American tour.[126]

In March 2011, bassist Jeff Ament told Billboard that the band has 25 songs and they’d be heading into the studio in April to begin recording the follow-up to Backspacer.[127] On May 16, 2011, the band confirmed that they would play the Labor Day weekend at the Alpine Valley Music Theatre, East Troy, Wisconsin, followed by ten shows in Canada.[128]

On September 8, 2011, the band released a new song titled “Olé”.[129] On November 18, the band released Toronto 9.11.11—a free live album available through the launch of Google Music.

On November 21, 2011, as part of their PJ20 World Tour, Pearl Jam visited Costa Rica for the first time to a 30,000 crowd of fans at the New National Stadium.[130] The following month, the band announced a tour of Europe, which started in June 2012.[131]
Lightning Bolt: 2013–present
Pearl Jam onstage in Oakland on November 26, 2013

On July 11, 2013, the band announced that their tenth studio album Lightning Bolt would be released internationally on October 14, 2013 and on the next day in the United States, along with releasing the first single “Mind Your Manners”.[132] The band is scheduled to play a two-leg tour in North America during October and November,[133] followed by headlining the Big Day Out festival in Australia and New Zealand in 2014.[134][135] The second single, “Sirens”, was released on September 18, 2013.[136] After selling 166,000 copies in its first week, Lightning Bolt became Pearl Jam’s fifth album to reach number one on the Billboard 200.[137]
Musical style and influences

Given to Fly
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A sample of “Given to Fly” from Yield (1998), a hard rock song which features Vedder’s distinctive baritone vocals and McCready’s prominent lead guitar throughout.
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Compared with the other grunge bands of the early 1990s, Pearl Jam’s style is noticeably less heavy and harkens back to the classic rock music of the 1970s.[138] Pearl Jam has cited many punk rock and classic rock bands as influences, including The Who, Led Zeppelin, Neil Young, Kiss and the Ramones.[139][140] Pearl Jam’s success has been attributed to its sound, which fuses “the riff-heavy stadium rock of the ’70s with the grit and anger of ’80s post-punk, without ever neglecting hooks and choruses.”[6] Gossard’s rhythm guitar style is known for its sense of beat and groove,[141] while McCready’s lead guitar style, influenced by artists such as Jimi Hendrix,[142] has been described as “feel-oriented” and “rootsy.”[143]

Pearl Jam has broadened its musical range with subsequent releases. As he had more influence on the band’s sound, Vedder sought to make the band’s musical output less catchy. He said, “I felt that with more popularity, we were going to be crushed, our heads were going to pop like grapes.”[1] By 1994’s Vitalogy, the band began to incorporate more punk influences into its music.[144] The band’s 1996 album, No Code, was a deliberate break from the musical style of Ten. The songs on the album featured elements of garage rock, worldbeat, and experimentalism.[6] After 1998’s Yield, which was somewhat of a return to the straightforward rock approach of the band’s early work,[56] the band dabbled with experimental art rock on 2000’s Binaural and folk rock elements on 2002’s Riot Act. The band’s 2006 album, Pearl Jam, was cited as a return to the band’s early sound.[87][88] The band’s 2009 album, Backspacer, contains elements of pop and new wave.[108]

Critic Jim DeRogatis describes Vedder’s vocals as a “Jim Morrison-like vocal growl.”[145] Greg Prato of Allmusic said, “With his hard-hitting and often confessional lyrical style and Jim Morrison-esque baritone, Vedder also became one of the most copied lead singers in all of rock.”[146] Vedder’s lyrical topics range from personal (“Alive”, “Better Man”) to social and political concerns (“Even Flow”, “World Wide Suicide”). His lyrics have often invoked the use of storytelling and have included themes of freedom, individualism, and sympathy for troubled individuals.[147] When the band started, Gossard and McCready were clearly designated as rhythm and lead guitarists, respectively. The dynamic began to change when Vedder started to play more rhythm guitar during the Vitalogy era. McCready said in 2006, “Even though there are three guitars, I think there’s maybe more room now. Stone will pull back and play a two-note line and Ed will do a power chord thing, and I fit into all that.”[148]
Legacy

While Nirvana had brought grunge to the mainstream in the early 1990s, Pearl Jam quickly outsold them,[149] and became “the most popular American rock & roll band of the ’90s” according to Allmusic.[6] Pearl Jam has been described as “modern rock radio’s most influential stylists – the workmanlike midtempo chug of songs like “Alive” and “Even Flow” just melodic enough to get moshers singing along.”[150] The band inspired and influenced a number of bands, ranging from Silverchair to Puddle of Mudd and The Strokes.[151][152] The band has also been credited for inspiring the indie rock scene of 90s-era urban Pakistan, that has since evolved into a rich rock music culture in the country.[153]

Pearl Jam has been praised for its rejection of rock star excess and its insistence on backing causes it believes in. Music critic Jim DeRogatis said in the aftermath of the band’s battle with Ticketmaster that it “proved that a rock band which isn’t comprised of greed heads can play stadiums and not milk the audience for every last dime… it indicated that idealism in rock ‘n’ roll is not the sole province of those ’60s bands enshrined in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.”[154] Eric Weisbard of Spin said in 2001, “The group that was once accused of being synthetic grunge now seem as organic and principled a rock band as exists.”[15] In a 2005 USA Today reader’s poll, Pearl Jam was voted the greatest American rock band of all time.[155] In April 2006, Pearl Jam was awarded the prize for “Best Live Act” in Esquire’s Esky Music Awards. The blurb called Pearl Jam “the rare superstars who still play as though each show could be their last.”[156] Pearl Jam’s fanbase following has been compared to that of the Grateful Dead’s, with Rolling Stone magazine stating that Pearl Jam “toured incessantly and became one of rock’s great arena acts, attracting a fanatical, Grateful Dead-like cult following with marathon, true-believer shows in the vanishing spirit of Bruce Springsteen, the Who and U2.”[1]

When asked about Pearl Jam’s legacy in a 2000 interview, Vedder said, “I think at some point along the way we began feeling we wanted to give people something to believe in because we all had bands that gave that to us when we needed something to believe in. That was the big challenge for us after the first record and the response to it. The goal immediately became how do we continue to be musicians and grow and survive in view of all this… The answers weren’t always easy, but I think we found a way.”[157]

Greg Lake

King Crimson played a couple of venues with The Nice, during which Lake struck up a friendship with The Nice’s precocious keyboardist Keith Emerson. Lake and Emerson eventually teamed up and brought in the drummer from The Crazy World of Arthur Brown and Atomic Rooster, Carl Palmer—forming the progressive rock ‘supergroup’ Emerson Lake & Palmer (ELP). Lake contributed acoustic guitar, electric guitar, bass, lyrics, vocals and production work to the band. The trio did not make use of external producers for any of their albums in the 1970s, nor did they employ session players for studio work or live performances. During concerts, Lake would play acoustic guitar, electric guitar or bass as required. Beginning with the 1973 album Brain Salad Surgery, Lake did collaborate with Peter Sinfield to write lyrics.

ELP sold more than 30 million albums in the 1970s, and made a significant musical contribution to the evolution of progressive rock. Lake co-wrote many of ELP’s songs but was known for his guitar-oriented, soulful ballads. On their debut album (Emerson, Lake & Palmer), Lake included an acoustic song (with a keyboard outro hastily recorded by Emerson) called “Lucky Man”, based on a poem he had written at the age of 12. In determining the direction of the band, Lake’s focus on ballads, radio-friendly material and “down-to-earth” compositions contrasted sharply with Emerson’s desire to create rock symphonies and polyphonic, poly-rhythmic suites. Their collaboration led to ELP creating albums with an eclectic mixture of classical pieces, ballads, hard rock songs and epic-length suites.
Pictures at an Exhibition, Tarkus and Trilogy

After their debut album, ELP recorded a live performance of their treatment of Pictures at an Exhibition, which brought in elements of electric rock, jazz, blues and, notably, Lake’s acoustic ballad “The Sage”. Due to management conflicts, this recording was not released until after their next studio album. Their second studio album, Tarkus, had a side-long epic on Side A, and Side B combined a series of hard rock songs, an instrumental and a couple of comic songs. It was immediately recognised as a landmark and defining album of progressive rock. As with Pictures at an Exhibition, Lake was not heavily involved with the early composition work of Tarkus, although all of the lyrics and production work on both albums are his. He did contribute a haunting electric guitar solo to the epic title track. Also, the evocative lyrics and acerbic vocals of various songs from Side B of Tarkus (particularly Bitches Crystal and A Time and a Place) have been acclaimed by fans.

This was followed by the album Trilogy, which Lake rates as his favourite ELP album. His ballad From the Beginning was their most commercially successful single. Lake continued to provide powerful lyrics and highly inventive and adroit vocals in songs such as The Endless Enigma and the title track. This album was the most refined of ELP’s work, combining signature classical pieces (Hoedown and Abaddon’s Bolero) with multi-part progressive tracks (such as The Endless Enigma) and shorter, more accessible songs (such as Living Sin).
Brain Salad Surgery and international fame

With ELP steadily becoming one of the highest-grossing live acts on earth, they released their most ambitious album yet in 1973, Brain Salad Surgery. Once again, Lake contributed a soulful ballad – “Still You Turn Me On” – and was able to match the grandiose playing of Emerson and Palmer not only with tight guitar and bass work, but also with innovative lyrics, most notably for the apocalyptic and bizarre epic “Karn Evil 9” (the first ELP song in which Lake collaborated with Peter Sinfield to write lyrics). Lake’s production skills ensured his continued success in harnessing the complex, multi-layered and polyrhythmic studio work of the band into tightly produced, highly successful albums. Although he gave Emerson a free rein to incorporate massive, virtuosic instrumentals (such as in “Toccata” and the second impression of “Karn Evil 9”), Lake ensured that each album contained familiar, accessible material (such as his cover of Hubert Parry’s anthem “Jerusalem” based on William Blake’s preface to “Milton a Poem”). In particular, the decision to release “Karn Evil 9: First Impression, Part 2” as a single resulted in continued radio play and commercial attention being given to ELP. The driving lyrics of this section, opening with the classic line “Welcome back my friends to the show that never ends,” ensured that Lake’s vocals and ELP’s unique brand of musicality would continue to gain popular recognition.

ELP’s massive commercial success continued when they were the headline act (along with Deep Purple) at 1974’s California Jam, where they played live to an audience of some 180,000. In the midst of this unprecedented renown and immense financial success, ELP went on a two-year hiatus, most likely due to growing tension among the members. During the hiatus, Lake gained further popularity for his UK Christmas number two single, “I Believe in Father Christmas” (released in 1975). It continues to be a well-known Christmas pop song, and Lake actually travelled around the Middle East to record the haunting film clip. The song was recorded with an orchestra and released as a solo effort.
Works albums

ELP then emerged from the hiatus and in 1977 they released the double album Works Volume I, with each member having an entire side to himself. Lake’s “side” consisted of five acoustic ballads, some of which included an orchestra (and all of which had lyrics co-credited to Peter Sinfield). The mournful “C’est la Vie” and the inspirational “Closer to Believing” were particularly noteworthy, marking a mature, restrained and introspective side to his artistry. Lake was also a driving force behind the 13-minute song “Pirates”, which occupied side 4 of the album along with the song that has become ELP’s greatest legacy: their overdriven, electric rendition of “Fanfare for the Common Man”. The album was highly successful, but it has been described by Lake as “an image of a band fragmenting.” ELP had successfully reinvented themselves as an orchestral band, and also turned out a timeless rock treatment of Copland’s “Fanfare”, but a return to the heights they had reached a few years earlier was not to be.

“I Believe in Father Christmas” was later re-recorded with Emerson and Palmer, and included on their next album, Works Volume II; it contains a direct reference in the melody to Sergei Prokofiev. This album also contained a number of signature Lake ballads, such as “Show Me the Way to Go Home” and “Watching Over You” (a ballad written for his daughter). Lake was also pivotal in the creation of many other songs on the album, such as “Tiger in a Spotlight” (a minor hit) and “So Far to Fall”. The album was, by far, the most radio-friendly, pop-oriented and accessible work that ELP had, thus far, ever produced – nonetheless, it was seen as a collection of leftovers, and it was their first commercial failure.
Love Beach and ELP’s first break-up

Emerson spearheaded plans to embark on an orchestral tour to accompany the Works albums. The tour was a financial disaster that bankrupted the band and brought to the fore the growing tensions among the members, particularly between Lake and Emerson. They were obliged to make another album for their record label, and went to the Bahamas to record what became Love Beach. Lake was highly uninterested in the album, leaning heavily on Sinfield to write all of the lyrics, and flying home as soon as his final guitar work was recorded. Emerson was left with some technicians to finish cutting the album – no one is actually credited or recognised as being the album’s “producer”. ELP’s final obligations were then fulfilled by In Concert (later rebranded as Works Live and expanded to double-album length), a live album garnered from the ill-fated orchestral tour, which was released after they had already broken up.
Lake’s other production work

In 1973, Lake founded Manticore Records and signed several very talented musicians such as Italy’s PFM and Banco, and King Crimson / Emerson, Lake & Palmer lyricist Peter Sinfield. The company is named after a beast pictured inside the album Tarkus. (The fifth movement of the Tarkus suite is named “Manticore”, which is the mythological creature who finally succeeds in beating Tarkus.) Having produced albums, on which he also played, for both King Crimson and ELP, Lake briefly produced albums for other artists, including Spontaneous Combustion (1972), Stray Dog (1973) and Keith Christmas (1974). His only other foray into production appears to be The King’s Singers (1987) & (2005) and Jim Davidson’s “Watching Over You”, the title track being and ELP song.
1980s: Asia and solo career

After the break-up of ELP, Lake played a few concerts, including Los Angeles, and Tokyo with the group Asia in 1983 as a temporary replacement for John Wetton.

He also released two well-received solo albums and toured with that band in the early 1980s. The albums were Greg Lake (1981) and Manoeuvres (1983), both of which featured ex-Thin Lizzy guitarist Gary Moore. The first also featured an unfinished Bob Dylan track, obtained through a mutual friend and completed by Lake.

In 1986, he reunited with Emerson to write and record an album, to be known as “Emerson-Lake”. They recruited Cozy Powell and released the album as “Emerson, Lake & Powell”. This was effectively an ELP reunion with Powell replacing Palmer, who was contractually obligated to Asia. The “new” ELP toured, and then Palmer replaced Powell, before the line-up split once more.

Having worked with Geoff Downes in Asia, Lake and Downes recorded 6 tracks in summer 1988 as Greg Lake’s Ride the Tiger. A new Asia line-up for Downes curtailed the project, but ELP used one song (“Affairs of the Heart”) on their next album, Black Moon, and Asia used another (“Love Under Fire”) on their next album, Aqua.
1990s: Emerson, Lake & Palmer again

Emerson, Lake & Palmer subsequently reunited in the early 1990s and played the progressive rock circuit, especially in outdoor summer concerts, and released two new studio albums. In 1998, the members of ELP had a rather acrimonious falling-out and Lake left the band.
2000s: Recent work, Greg Lake Band, guest appearances

Keith Emerson’s 2004 memoirs “Pictures of an Exhibitionist” give an unflattering portrait of Lake, and Lake said at the time that he would never reunite with ELP in the future[citation needed]. He has not been especially visible on the music scene since then, though he did tour as a member of Ringo Starr’s All-Starr Band in 2001. In late 2003 he played bass on The Who’s “Real Good Looking Boy”.

On 22 October 2005, Lake began touring the United Kingdom with a brand new “Greg Lake Band” to positive reviews. The band comprised David Arch on keyboards, Florian Opahle on guitar, Trevor Barry on bass, and Brett Morgan on drums. A double DVD was released by Warner Bros/Classic Pictures early 2006. The Greg Lake Band was ready for a new tour on September 2006 with rumours of a new album in the pipeline, although this tour was cancelled at the last minute due to “management troubles”[citation needed].

Lake performed “Karn Evil 9” with the Trans Siberian Orchestra at the Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, Long Island, New York on 20 December 2006, at the Continental Airlines Arena in East Rutherford, New Jersey on 21 December 2006 and at the Quicken Loans Arena, aka the Q in Cleveland, Ohio, on 30 December 2007, at the end of both the 3:00 pm and 7:30 pm shows.

Lake played “Lucky Man” with Jethro Tull at their show at the Royal Festival Hall in London on 28 May 2008. In November 2008, U2 recorded Greg Lake’s “I Believe in Father Christmas” to mark the launch of (RED)Wire.

In 2009, Lake performed on the song “Nutrocker” on Trans-Siberian Orchestra’s album Night Castle.
2010s: ELP reunion, solo U.S. theatre tour

After more than a decade, Emerson, Lake & Palmer reunited in the Summer of 2010 at the High Voltage Festival. As preparation for this show, Keith Emerson and Greg Lake toured North America in the Spring of 2010, presenting an intimate unplugged performance of King Crimson, ELP and The Nice selections featuring only Emerson and Lake performing

Lake announced in January 2012 a new interactive North American theatre tour, called “Songs of a Lifetime. (greglake.com), to begin on 11 April in Quebec city followed by 12 and 13 April in Montreal and continuing in the US with the city of Boston. Greg Lake said he would be playing songs and sharing stories from his time with King Crimson, Emerson Lake and Palmer and as a solo artist.

Lindsey Stirling,

(born September 21, 1986) is an American violinist, dancer, performance artist, and composer. She presents choreographed violin performances, both live and in music videos found on her YouTube channel, Lindseystomp, which she introduced in 2007. In 2010, Stirling was a quarter-finalist on America’s Got Talent season five.

Since 2010, Stirling has released two studio albums, an EP, and several singles. Her debut eponymous album was a commercial success in Europe, selling 200,000 copies in Germany, winning a platinum certification. Three other certifications were given to her by Austria, Switzerland and Poland. Her debut album was nominated for the 2014 Billboard Music Awards in the section of “Top Dance/Electronic Albums”.

She performs a variety of music styles, from classical to pop and hip-hop to electronic dance music. Aside from original work, her discography contains covers of songs by other musicians and various soundtracks. Stirling is also a YouTube sensation: her music video “Crystallize” finished as the eighth-most watched video of 2012, and her cover version of “Radioactive” with Pentatonix won Response of the Year in the first YouTube Music Awards in 2013. Lindsey has also sold more than 1 million singles worldwide and on May 2014 her second studio album Shatter Me peaked #2 at the Billboard 200. Her YouTube channel had, as of September 2014, more than 5.3 million subscribers and 735 million total views.

Early life

Stirling was born in Santa Ana, California. She describes her childhood as being raised in a modest household and stated she “would not trade my humble childhood years for anything else”. Due to her family’s financial limitations, her parents could only afford to find a violin teacher who would give half lessons. Told by instructors, “a child isn’t going to learn how to play … in 15 minutes a week”, her parents persisted and at the age of 5 she began violin lessons.

When she was sixteen, she joined a rock band in Mesquite High School in Gilbert, Arizona, with four friends, called “Stomp on Melvin”. As part of her experience with the group, Stirling wrote a solo violin rock song, and her performance helped her to win the state title of Arizona’s Junior Miss and claim the Spirit Award in the America’s Junior Miss Finals competition. Stirling was also a member of Charley Jenkins Band for about a year.
Career
2010–12: America’s Got Talent and debut studio album

In 2010, at the age of 23, Stirling was a quarter-finalist on season five of America’s Got Talent, where she was described as a “hip hop violinist”. Stirling’s performances were dubbed “electrifying” by the judges, and won the acclaim of the audience, but after she attempted to step up the dance level in her quarter-final performance, judge Piers Morgan told her: “You’re not untalented, but you’re not good enough to get away with flying through the air and trying to play the violin at the same time.” Sharon Osbourne commented: “You need to be in a group. … What you’re doing is not enough to fill a theater in Vegas.” In her blog, Stirling confided: “I was devastated at the results … It was painful, and a bit humiliating; however, I had to relearn where it was that I drew my strength.” Stirling decided to continue to embrace her unique style of performance, promoting herself on the Internet. In a 2012 interview she remarked: “A lot of people have told me along the way that my style and the music I do … is unmarketable. But the only reason I’m successful is because I have stayed true to myself.”

Shortly after her performance on America’s Got Talent, cinematographer Devin Graham contacted her in hopes of making a YouTube video together. They agreed to shoot a music video for her song, “Spontaneous Me”. It was filmed the week of May 9, 2011. The video boosted Stirling’s popularity, and she began making music videos for her YouTube channel regularly. Graham has filmed almost all of her videos, while Stirling often does backup camera work and assists with his music videos. Stirling’s YouTube channel, Lindseystomp, which she created in 2007 and which is named after her first band Stomp on Melvin, is the main repository for her music videos. During 2011, the channel rapidly gained popularity and has over 519 million total views and over four million subscribers, as of January 2014. Her music is featured on Pandora, Spotify, and Last.FM. Stirling also created a second YouTube channel, LindseyTime, in September 2012, in which she posts videos related to her life, vlogs, behind-the-scenes content, etc.
Stirling performing at VidCon 2012

Stirling has experimented in combining violin playing with hip hop and dubstep. Stirling’s collaborations with other musicians and singers have included Shaun Barrowes (“Don’t Carry It All” – The Decemberists), Jake Bruene and Frank Sacramone (“Party Rock Anthem” – LMFAO), Tay Zonday (“Mama Economy”), Peter Hollens (“Skyrim”, “A Thousand Years”, “Game of Thrones” and “Star Wars”), Alisha Popat (“We Found Love”), John Allred (“Tomb”), Amiee Proal (“A Thousand Years”), Megan Nicole (“Starships”), The Piano Guys (“Mission Impossible”), Debi Johanson (“River Flows in You”, “Phantom of the Opera”), Sam Tsui (“Heads Up”), Tyler Ward (“I Knew You Were Trouble”, Thrift Shop”), Kurt Hugo Schneider (“Pokemón Dubstep Remix” and “A Thousand Years”), John Legend (“All of Me”), Chester See (“I Knew You Were Trouble”), and Pentatonix (“Radioactive”). She has also collaborated with the Salt Lake Pops orchestra and Alex Boye. Stirling’s debut album was released on September 18, 2012 in conjunction with a North American tour that same month.

Stirling completed her first U.S. tour on November 26, 2012. She announced her second tour as well as a “test tour” for Europe on December 3, 2012, which kicked off in January 2013. The tour covered 55 cities throughout Europe, Canada and the U.S. and ended in Arizona on April 5, 2013.

In December 2012, YouTube announced that Stirling’s song, “Crystallize”, was the No. 8 top-viewed video of 2012 with over 42 million views.

2013–present: First World Tour and Shatter Me

On April 22, 2013, it was announced that Lady Gaga’s manager (Troy Carter) inked a deal with Stirling after being impressed by her rise in the media. “By looking at the numbers, automatically you could see this girl knew how to move the needle and understood YouTube was a venue to engage fans both online and offline,” Carter said. Stirling, who had previously refused to work with other management companies explained her new deal with Carter: “But with Atom Factory, they were up to date on current things and trying new stuff all the time, and I felt so creatively alive when I met with them.”

On June 21, Stirling received her first golden certification for her album, Lindsey Stirling, in Germany and in the next month, she earned golden certifications from Switzerland and Austria. On August 2, 2013, Billboard announced that Stirling’s studio album had sold more than 158,000 copies in the United States and that she was the second best-selling artist on the Classical Crossover charts in 2013, behind Andrea Bocelli’s album Passione.

In June 2013, she performed at Miss Switzerland, and in July, she joined Nathan Pacheco, The Orchestra at Temple Square and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir at the 21,000-seat Conference Center in Salt Lake City, UT for their annual Pioneer Day concert. Stirling also announced her first ever tour dates in Australia, South Korea and Japan. Stirling’s YouTube channel reached three million subscribers on August 31 and on September 4, after almost a year of touring, she completed her world tour with her last appearance in London. On September 12, Stirling performed at the Dreamball 2013 charity gala at Ritz Carlton in Berlin, Germany. Two weeks later, Stirling announced on her official website that she had started making her second album.

Almost a year after its official release, Stirling’s self-titled studio album was re-released on October 29, 2013, as an exclusive deluxe version featuring newly recorded versions and remixes of her best-known songs such as “Crystallize”, “Elements”, and “Transcendence”. Target carried four bonus tracks while all other retailers had two additional tracks. Stirling sold 10,000 copies of her extended-version album in the first week of sales, which was a record for her, and her album as it peaked from No. 79 to No. 23, becoming its highest position in Billboard 200.Days before, she had performed on Conan on October 24.

On November 3, 2013, Stirling and Pentatonix’s version of “Radioactive” won a YouTube Music Award in the category Response of the Year. Stirling also performed during the live-streamed event. On December 16, Stirling announced the first tour dates on Canada and United States of her new 2014 World Tour; some pre-sales were sold out after the first day of selling and the first concert to be sold out was in Portland, Oregon on January 29.

Stirling appeared on several Billboard 2013 year-end charts; notably, No. 3 on Classical Album Artists, No. 2 on Classical Albums, and No. 3 on Dance/Electronic Albums (both for the Lindsey Stirling).

At the beginning of 2014, Stirling’s self-titled album hit gold on Poland, received its first platinum certification in Germany and later on in Austria. Stirling received her first RIAA golden certification on February 4 for her hit single “Crystallize”. On February 26 Stirling released for the first time her debut album in France which entered in number 17 selling 4,900 copies in its first week of sales. On March 5, Stirling performed three concerts at the El Plaza Condesa in Mexico City, being her first time to do so in Latin America.
Stirling performing at the Rivera Theatre, United States, on 6th June 2014

In 2014, Stirling was nominated for the Echo music award in two categories: Crossover National/International and Newcomer International, receiving the Crossover National/International award on 28 March.

On March 12, 2014, Stirling posted a video announcing her second studio album, Shatter Me, would be released in May. She also created a PledgeMusic account where consumers could buy her new album, signed or not, and also exclusive items, such as signed posters, personalized video and even Skype calls with Stirling herself. At the end of the first day, the signed Shatter Me CD was already sold out. On March 25, Stirling officially released her first single from Shatter Me, entitled “Beyond the Veil”, along with its accompanying music video. On April 3, Stirling posted that she collaborated with Owl City for his fifth album. The song, “Beautiful Times”, was released on April 8.

On April 23, 2014, Stirling released the second single of her upcoming album: “Shatter Me”. The song, the album’s title track, accumulated 1.3 million views its first day online. The album was released in the United States on April 29 and in Europe on May 2. In the U.S., the album sold 56,000 copies in its first week and reached No. 2 on Billboard 200, becoming Stirling’s biggest sales week ever. In Europe Shatter Me was also a commercial success as it reached the Top 5 on Sweden and Germany and also peaking the first position in Austria. On May 18, Stirling assisted to the Billboard Music Awards where her debut album had been nominated in the category “Top Electronic/Dance Album”. Stirling also performed her first single “Beyond the Veil” during the ceremony.

On May 13, 2014, Stirling performed in San Diego, the first show of her second world tour, which consisted of 77 shows in total, 48 in North America and 29 in Europe. This world Tour was in support of her new album Shatter Me and the crew consisted of Jason Gaviati and Drew Steen (which had been part of her First World Tour) plus the adding of two new dancers: Stephen Jones and Pter Styles and the choreographer Anže Škrube.

On July 2, Billboard posted that Stirling’s second studio album “Shatter Me” had been the third dance/electronic album with most sales in the first half of the year (119,000) only behind Daft Punk’s Random Access Memories and Lady Gaga’s Artpop. In the same chart Stirling’s debut studio album was at sixth place with 108,000 copies sold in the first half of 2014. On July 27 Stirling’s hit single Crystallize reached 100 million views, being Stirling’s first music video in doing so. Six days later, on August 2, Stirling posted on her Twitter account that she had been nominated for her first ever Teen Choice award. On August 6, Stirling came back after four years to America’s Got Talent to perform as host, along with Lzzy Hale their single “Shatter Me”.

On August it was revealed two collaborations Lindsey would be part of. The first one was revealed on August 13, and was about Stirling collaborating for a second time with the a cappella group Pentatonix for their third studio album PTX, Vol. III on the French song Papaoutai. The second collaboration was revealed nine days later, on August 22, when it was announced Stirling had been part of a song with singer Jessie J for her upcoming album Sweet Talker.
Dancing

From a young age, Stirling had a fascination for dance, and wanted to take both dancing and violin lessons. In an interview with NewMediaRockstars, she said, “…ever since I was a kid, I’ve always wished that I could dance, but my parents said, ‘You [can] choose violin or you [can] choose dance, but we can’t afford both’, and I chose violin. So this is kind of a fulfillment – it’s funny to say, but this is something I’ve always wanted to do.”

She impressed the judges on America’s Got Talent, not only by mixing hip-hop and classical music on the violin, but by incorporating dancing with playing the violin, which she also does on her tours and official music videos. On a live-chat Stirling explained: “It is very unnatural to dance while playing the violin. I had to practice so hard to learn how to do it but now it is part of my expression and it comes naturally. I have to know a song perfectly before I can even begin to move. Once I know a song really well I can then have fun dancing.” Not only in her performances, but also with her music, dancing made a huge impact: “I loved dance music so I started with that and wrote Transcendence, Electric Daisy and Spontaneous Me.”

In October 2013, Stirling announced she would take part in season three of Dance Showdown, a dance competition web series created by DanceOn where the winner is awarded US$50,000. Stirling was the second of three finalists, but didn’t win the fifty thousand dollars despite receiving critical acclaim on her three performances with her partner Anze Skrube. One of the three judges, Laurieann Gibson, classified her second performance as “one of the best” in Dance Showdown and the last one as the best she had ever seen.
Philanthropy

On October 1, 2013, Stirling teamed with the non-profit Atlanta Music Project to help spread appreciation of music to children who might not otherwise have the chance. The Atlanta Music Project’s mission was “to inspire social change by providing Atlanta’s under-served youth the opportunity to learn and perform music in orchestras and choirs.” For this, Stirling made available two limited edition Lindsey Stirling/The Power of Music shirts. The money collected from the sale of those shirts went directly to the Atlanta Music Project with the combined goal of raising enough to provide music training for 50 children.

On March 22, 2014, Lindsey joined Cirque du Soleil for the second annual One Night for One Drop in Las Vegas. The non-profit organization presented the show in the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino for the celebration of The World Water Day and to make the message of saving water accessible to all.

Personal life

Stirling attended Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah to study film making. She went on to perform missionary work in New York City for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. A story that she wrote about her mission was later published in the compilation Do Not Attempt in Heels: Mission Stories and Advice from Sisters Who’ve Been There. Stirling returned home to Provo in 2009 to continue studying at BYU. She then moved back to Arizona, in December 2012, to be with her family. She resides in Los Angeles, California.

For a short time she dated film maker Devin Graham who had attended the same university and church. The two began dating shortly after the filming of Crystallize and Graham moved to Utah. The two have since ended their relationship.

Stirling has publicly spoken about her battle with anorexia. She discovered her disorder while working for a treatment centre for troubled girls. Stirling said in an interview with Good Morning America, that her song “Shatter Me” was “actually my story of overcoming my eating disorder”. The cover art of the album is a reference to her struggle which showcases a “seemingly perfect-looking ballerina standing in the middle of a cracked glass globe”. In 2013, Stirling was featured by the LDS Church in its “I’m a Mormon” campaign in which Lindsey Stirling spoke openly about how her faith helped in her battle during high school and college.

Ozzy Osbourne,

John Michael Osbourne (born 3 December 1948) is an English heavy metal vocalist, songwriter, and television personality. Osbourne rose to prominence in the early 1970s as the lead vocalist of the pioneering band Black Sabbath, whose dark and heavy sound has often been cited as key to the development of the heavy metal genre. Osbourne left Black Sabbath in 1979 and has since had a successful solo career, releasing 11 studio albums, the first seven of which were all awarded multi-platinum certifications in the U.S., although he has reunited with Black Sabbath on several occasions, most recently in 2011, to record the album 13, which was released in 2013. Osbourne’s longevity and success have earned him the informal title of “Godfather of Heavy Metal”.

Osbourne’s total album sales from his years in Black Sabbath, combined with his solo work, is over 100 million. As a member of Black Sabbath he was inducted into the U.S. Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and was inducted into the UK Music Hall of Fame as both a solo artist and as a member of the band. He has a star on the Birmingham Walk of Stars as well as the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In the early 2000s, he became a TV star, appearing as himself in the MTV reality program The Osbournes, alongside wife/manager Sharon and two of their three children, Kelly and Jack.

Early life

Osbourne was born in Aston, Birmingham. His father, John Thomas “Jack” Osbourne, worked nightshifts as a toolmaker at GEC. His mother, Lillian, who was Catholic but non-practising, worked days at a factory, according to Osbourne’s autobiography, I Am Ozzy (page 6): “She was a Catholic, my mum, but she wasn’t religious.” Osbourne was the fourth of six children; he has three older sisters and two younger brothers: Jean, Iris, Gillian, Paul and Tony. The family lived in a small two-bedroom home at 14 Lodge Road in Aston. Osbourne has had the nickname “Ozzy” since primary school.

Osbourne grew up dealing with dyslexia, attention deficit disorder, and other learning disabilities. Drawn to the stage, Osbourne took part in school plays such as The Mikado and HMS Pinafore. Upon hearing their first hit single at age 14, he became a great fan of The Beatles. He credits the band’s 1963 song “She Loves You” for inspiring him to become a musician. He said in the 2011 documentary God Bless Ozzy Osbourne that “as soon as I heard ‘She Loves You’ on the radio, I knew I was going to be a rock star for the rest of my life”.

Osbourne left school at 15 and was employed as a construction site labourer, trainee plumber, apprentice toolmaker, car factory horn-tuner, and slaughterhouse worker. He attempted to forge a career in burglary, stealing a television (which fell on him during his getaway and had to be abandoned), a handful of baby clothes and bibs (originally thought to be adult clothes as it was too dark to see when he committed the burglary and which were stolen to sell to people at a pub), and some T-shirts. He spent six weeks in Winson Green Prison when he was unable to pay a fine after being found guilty of robbing a clothes shop and his father refused, hoping to teach his son a lesson.
Career
Black Sabbath
In late 1967, Geezer Butler formed his first band, Rare Breed, with Osbourne. The band played two shows, then broke up. Osbourne and Butler reunited in Polka Tulk Blues, along with guitarist Tony Iommi and drummer Bill Ward, whose band Mythology had recently broken up. They renamed themselves Earth, but after being accidentally booked for a show instead of a different band with the same name, they decided to change their name again. They finally settled on the name Black Sabbath in August 1969, based on the film of the same name. The band had noticed how people enjoyed being frightened; inspired, the band decided to play a heavy blues style of music laced with gloomy sounds and lyrics. While recording their first album in a castle, Butler read an occult book and woke up to a dark figure at the end of his bed. Butler told Osbourne about it and together they wrote the lyrics to “Black Sabbath”, their first song in a darker vein.

Despite only a modest investment from their U.S. record label Warner Bros. Records, Black Sabbath met with swift and enduring success. Built around Tony Iommi’s guitar riffs, Geezer Butler’s lyrics, Bill Ward’s dark tempo drumbeats, and topped by Osbourne’s eerie vocals, early records such as their debut album Black Sabbath and Paranoid sold huge numbers, as well as getting considerable airplay. Osbourne recalls a band lament, “in those days, the band wasn’t very popular with the women”.

At about this time, Osbourne first met his future wife, Sharon Arden. After the unexpected success of their first album, Black Sabbath were considering her father, Don Arden, as their new manager, and Sharon was at that time working as Don’s receptionist. Osbourne admits he was attracted to her immediately but assumed that “she probably thought I was a lunatic”. Osbourne said years later that the best thing about eventually choosing Don Arden as manager was that he got to see Sharon regularly, though their relationship was strictly professional at that point.

Just five months after the release of Paranoid the band released Master of Reality. The album reached the top ten in both the United States and UK, and was certified gold in less than two months. In the 1980s it received platinum certification and went Double Platinum in the early 21st century. Reviews of the album were unfavourable. Lester Bangs of Rolling Stone famously dismissed Master of Reality as “naïve, simplistic, repetitive, absolute doggerel”, although the very same magazine would later place the album at number 298 on their 500 Greatest Albums of All Time list, compiled in 2003. Black Sabbath’s Volume 4 was released in September 1972. Critics were again dismissive of the album, yet it achieved gold status in less than a month. It was the band’s fourth consecutive release to sell one million copies in the United States.

In 1971 Osbourne met his first wife Thelma (née Riley) at a nightclub in Birmingham called the Rum Runner, where she worked. They were married in 1971 and children Louis and Jessica were soon born. Osbourne later referred to his first marriage as “a terrible mistake”; his drug and alcohol abuse, coupled with his frequent absences while touring with Black Sabbath, took their toll on his family life, with his children later lamenting the fact that he was not a good father. In the 2011 documentary film God Bless Ozzy Osbourne, produced by son Jack Osbourne, he admitted that he could not even remember when Louis and Jessica were born.

In November 1973, Black Sabbath released the critically acclaimed Sabbath Bloody Sabbath. For the first time, the band received favourable reviews in the mainstream press. Gordon Fletcher of Rolling Stone called the album “an extraordinarily gripping affair”, and “nothing less than a complete success”. Allmusic’s Eduardo Rivadavia call the album a “masterpiece, essential to any heavy metal collection”, while also claiming the band displayed “a newfound sense of finesse and maturity”. The album marked the band’s fifth consecutive platinum selling album in the US. Sabotage was released in July 1975. Again there were favourable reviews. Rolling Stone stated, “Sabotage is not only Black Sabbath’s best record since Paranoid, it might be their best ever.” Allmusic was not so favourable. They noted that “the magical chemistry that made such albums as Paranoid and Volume 4 so special was beginning to disintegrate”. Technical Ecstasy, released on 25 September 1976, was also met with mixed reviews. AllMusic gave the album two stars, and noted that the band was “unravelling at an alarming rate”.

Departure

In 1978, Osbourne left the band for three months to pursue interest in a solo project he called Blizzard of Ozz, a name which had been suggested by his father. Three members of the band Necromandus, who had supported Black Sabbath in Birmingham when they were called Earth, did backup for Osbourne in the studio and briefly became the first incarnation of his solo band. At the request of the other members, Osbourne rejoined Sabbath. The band spent five months at Sounds Interchange Studios in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, writing and recording what would become Never Say Die! “It took quite a long time,” Iommi said. “We were getting really drugged out, doing a lot of dope. We’d go down to the sessions, and have to pack up because we were too stoned, we’d have to stop. Nobody could get anything right, we were all over the place, everybody’s playing a different thing. We’d go back and sleep it off, and try again the next day.”

Touring in support of Never Say Die! began in May 1978 with openers Van Halen. Reviewers called Black Sabbath’s performance “tired and uninspired”, in stark contrast to the “youthful” performance of Van Halen, who were touring the world for the first time. The band filmed a performance at the Hammersmith Odeon in June 1978, which was later released on DVD as Never Say Die. The final show of the tour, and Osbourne’s last appearance with the band (until later reunions), was in Albuquerque, New Mexico on 11 December.

In 1979, back in the studio, tensions and conflict between band members were continually present. Osbourne recalls being asked to record his vocals over and over, and tracks being manipulated endlessly by Iommi. This was a point of contention between Osbourne and Iommi. At Iommi’s insistence, and with the support of Butler and Ward, Osbourne was fired from Black Sabbath on 27 April 1979. The reasons provided to him were that he was unreliable and had excessive substance abuse issues as compared to the other band members. Osbourne claims his drug use and alcohol consumption at that time were no better nor worse than that of the other band members. The band replaced him with former Rainbow singer Ronnie James Dio.

Conflict of a sort had existed between Iommi and Osbourne from the beginning. When responding to a 1969 flyer reading “Ozzy Zig Needs Gig- has own PA” posted in a record store, Iommi and Ward arrived at the listed address to speak with Ozzy Zig. When Iommi saw Osbourne emerge from another room of the house, he left upon discovering it was the same “pest” he knew from growing up, as he knew of and disliked Osbourne from back in their school days. Iommi had reportedly “punched out” Osbourne numerous times over the years when the singer’s drunken antics had become too much to take. Iommi recalls one incident in the early 1970s in which Osbourne and Geezer Butler were fighting in a hotel room. Iommi pulled Osbourne off Butler in an attempt to break up the drunken fight, and the vocalist proceeded to turn around and take a wild swing at him. Iommi responded by knocking Osbourne unconscious with one punch to the jaw.
Solo career
The Blizzard of Ozz, the band Osbourne formed before the decision was made to go solo

After leaving Black Sabbath, Osbourne was signed to Don Arden’s Jet Records. Arden dispatched his daughter Sharon to Los Angeles to “look after Ozzy’s needs, whatever they were”, as a means of protecting his investment. Initially, Arden was hopeful that Osbourne would return to Black Sabbath, and he later attempted to convince the singer to name his new band “Son of Sabbath”, which Osbourne hated. Sharon attempted to convince Osbourne to form a new supergroup with guitarist Gary Moore. In late 1979, under the management of the Ardens, Osbourne formed the band The Blizzard of Ozz, the line-up of which featured drummer Lee Kerslake (of Uriah Heep), bassist/lyricist Bob Daisley (of Rainbow and later Uriah Heep), keyboardist Don Airey (of Rainbow, and later Deep Purple), and guitarist Randy Rhoads (of Quiet Riot). The record company would eventually title the group’s debut album Blizzard of Ozz credited simply under Osbourne’s name, thus commencing his solo career. Co-written with Daisley and Rhoads, the album brought Osbourne considerable success on his first solo effort. Though it is generally accepted that Osbourne and Rhoads started the band, bassist Daisley later claimed that he and Osbourne formed the band in England before Rhoads officially joined. Osbourne has maintained that his original choice for bassist was Dana Strum, and that it was Strum who arranged Rhoads’ audition. Blizzard of Ozz is one of the very few albums amongst the 100 best selling albums of the 1980s to have achieved multi-platinum status without the benefit of a Top 40 single. As of August 1997, it achieved Quadruple Platinum status according to RIAA.
Osbourne performing in Cardiff, 1981

Osbourne’s second album, Diary of a Madman, featured more songs co-written with Bob Daisley. For his work on this album and Blizzard of Ozz, Randy Rhoads was ranked the 85th greatest guitarist of all time by Rolling Stone magazine in 2003. This album is known for the singles “Over the Mountain” and “Flying High Again”; additionally, Osbourne explains in his autobiography that Diary is his own personal favourite album. Tommy Aldridge and Rudy Sarzo soon replaced Kerslake and Daisley in the band. Aldridge had been Osbourne’s original choice as the band’s drummer, but a commitment to Gary Moore made him initially unavailable. Sarzo had previously played in Quiet Riot with guitarist Rhoads, who recommended him for the position.

On 19 March 1982 while Rhoads was in Florida for the follow-up Diary of a Madman tour, and a week away from playing Madison Square Garden in New York City, a light aircraft piloted by Andrew Aycock (the band’s tour bus driver) carrying guitarist Randy Rhoads and Rachel Youngblood, the band’s costume and make up designer, crashed while performing low passes over the band’s tour bus. In a prank turned deadly, the left wing of the aircraft clipped the bus, causing the plane to graze a tree and crash into the attached garage of a nearby mansion, killing Rhoads, Aycock, and the band’s hairdresser, Rachel Youngblood. On autopsy, cocaine was found to be present in Aycock’s urine. The crash was officially ruled the result of “poor judgement by the pilot in buzzing the bus and misjudging clearance of obstacles”. Experiencing firsthand the horrific death of his close friend and band mate, Osbourne fell into a deep depression. The tour was cancelled for two weeks while Osbourne, his wife/manager Sharon, and drummer Aldridge returned to Los Angeles to take stock while bassist Sarzo remained in Florida with family.

Gary Moore was the first guitarist approached to replace Rhoads, but he refused. Ex-Gillan guitarist Bernie Tormé replaced Rhoads once the tour resumed, though his tenure in the band would last less than one month. During an audition for guitarists in a hotel room, Osbourne selected Night Ranger’s Brad Gillis to finish the tour. The tour culminated in the release of the 1982 live album, Speak of the Devil recorded at the Ritz in New York City. A live tribute album for Rhoads was also later released.

Despite the difficulties, Osbourne moved on after Rhoads’ death. Speak of the Devil, known in the United Kingdom as Talk of the Devil, was originally planned to consist of live recordings from 1981, primarily from Osbourne’s solo work. Under contract to produce a live album, it ended up consisting entirely of Black Sabbath covers recorded with Brad Gillis, bassist Rudy Sarzo, and drummer Tommy Aldridge. Osbourne later commented (inside the cover of “Tribute”) “I don’t give a fuck about that album. It was just a bunch of bullshit Sabbath covers.”

In 1982 Osbourne appeared as lead vocalist on the Was (Not Was) pop dance track “Shake Your Head (Let’s Go to Bed)”. Madonna performed backing vocals. Osbourne’s cut was remixed and re-released in the early 1990s for a Was (Not Was) greatest hits album in Europe, and it cracked the UK pop chart. Madonna asked that her vocal not be restored for the hits package, so new vocals by Kim Basinger were added to complement Osbourne’s lead.

In 1983 a new guitarist was recruited to play with Osbourne. Jake E. Lee, formerly of Ratt and Rough Cutt, joined the band to record Bark at the Moon. The album, co-written with Bob Daisley, featured Tommy Aldridge, and former Rainbow keyboard player Don Airey. The album contains the fan favourite “Bark at the Moon“. The music video for “Bark at the Moon” was partially filmed at the Holloway Sanitorium outside of London, England. Within weeks the album became certified gold. To date it has sold three million copies in the US

1986’s The Ultimate Sin followed (with bassist Phil Soussan and drummer Randy Castillo), and touring behind both albums with ex-Uriah Heep keyboardist John Sinclair joining prior to the Ultimate Sin tour. At the time of its release, The Ultimate Sin was Osbourne’s highest charting studio album. The RIAA awarded the album Platinum status on 14 May 1986, soon after its release; it was awarded Double Platinum status on 26 October 1994.

Jake E. Lee and Osbourne parted ways in 1987. Osbourne continued to struggle with chemical dependency. That year he commemorated the fifth anniversary of Rhoads’ death with Tribute, live recordings from 1981 that had gone unreleased for years. In 1988 Osbourne appeared in The Decline of Western Civilization Part II: The Metal Years and told the director, Penelope Spheeris, that “sobriety( fu) sucks”. Meanwhile, Osbourne found Zakk Wylde, who was the most enduring replacement for Rhoads to date. Together they recorded No Rest for the Wicked with Castillo on drums, Sinclair on keyboards, and Daisley co-writing lyrics and playing bass. The subsequent tour saw Osbourne reunited with erstwhile Black Sabbath bandmate Geezer Butler on bass. A live EP (entitled Just Say Ozzy) featuring Geezer was released two years later. Butler continued to tour with Osbourne for the subsequent four tours, and was a major stage presence throughout. In 1988, Osbourne performed on the rock ballad, “Close My Eyes Forever”, a duet with Lita Ford, reaching No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100. In 1989 Osbourne performed at the Moscow Music Peace Festival.

While very successful as a heavy metal act through the 1980s, Osbourne sustained commercial success into the 1990s, starting with 1991’s No More Tears, featuring the song “Mama, I’m Coming Home”. The album enjoyed much radio and MTV exposure. It also initiated a practice of bringing in outside composers to help pen Osbourne’s solo material instead of relying solely upon his recording ensemble to write and arrange the music. The album was mixed by veteran rock producer Michael Wagener. Osbourne was awarded a Grammy Award for the track “I Don’t Want to Change the World” from Live & Loud, for Best Metal Performance of 1994.

Wagener also mixed the live album Live & Loud released in 28 June 1993. At the time, it was to be Osbourne’s final album. The album went platinum four times over, and ranked at number 10 on that year’s Billboard rock charts. At this point Osbourne expressed his fatigue with the process of touring, and proclaimed his “retirement tour” (which was to be short-lived). It was called “No More Tours”, a pun on his No More Tears album. Prior to the tour Alice in Chains’ Mike Inez took over on bass and Kevin Jones on keyboards as Sinclair was touring with The Cult. Osbourne’s entire CD catalogue was remastered and reissued in 1995.

In 1995 Osbourne released Ozzmosis and returned to touring, dubbing his concert performances “The Retirement Sucks Tour”. The album reached number 4 on the US Billboard 200. The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) certified the album gold and platinum in that same year, and double platinum in April 1999. The album features the hard rocking fan favourites “Perry Mason”, “Ghost Behind My Eyes”, “Thunder Underground”, and the power ballad “See You on the Other Side”.

The line-up on Ozzmosis was Zakk Wylde, Geezer Butler (who had just quit Black Sabbath again) and ex-Bad English, Steve Vai and Hardline drummer Deen Castronovo, now in Journey. Keyboards were played by Yes’s Rick Wakeman and producer Michael Beinhorn. The tour maintained Butler and Castronovo and saw Sinclair return, but a major line-up change was the introduction of ex-David Lee Roth guitarist Joe Holmes. Wylde was considering an offer to join Guns N’ Roses. Unable to wait for a decision on Wylde’s departure decision, Osbourne replaced him. In early 1996, Butler and Castronovo left. Mike Inez (Alice in Chains) and Randy Castillo (Lita Ford, Mötley Crüe) filled in. Ultimately, Faith No More’s Mike Bordin and ex-Suicidal Tendencies and future Metallica bassist Robert Trujillo joined on drums and bass respectively. A greatest hits package, The Ozzman Cometh was issued in 1997.

Ozzfest

Osbourne’s biggest financial success of the 1990s was a venture named Ozzfest, created and managed by his wife/manager Sharon and assisted by his son Jack. The first Ozzfest was held in Phoenix, Arizona on 25 October 1996 and in Devore, California on 26 October. Ozzfest was an instant hit with metal fans, spiralling many up-and-coming groups who were featured there to broad exposure and commercial success. Some acts shared the bill with a reformed Black Sabbath during the 1997 Ozzfest tour, beginning in West Palm Beach, Florida. Osbourne reunited with the original members of Sabbath in 1997 and has performed periodically with them ever since. Ozzfest reinstated the integrity and public familiarity with the band name Black Sabbath.

Since its beginning, five million people have attended Ozzfest, which has grossed over US$100 million. The festival helped promote many new hard rock and heavy metal acts of the late 1990s and early 2000s. Ozzfest helped Osbourne to become the first hard rock and heavy metal star to hit $50 million in merchandise sales. In 2005 Osbourne and his wife Sharon starred in an MTV competition reality show entitled “Battle for Ozzfest”. A number of yet unsigned bands send one member to compete in a challenge to win a spot on the 2005 Ozzfest and a possible recording contract. Shortly after Ozzfest 2005, Osbourne announced that he will no longer headline Ozzfest. Although he announced his retirement from Ozzfest, Osbourne came back headlining the tour. In 2006 Osbourne closed the event for just over half the concerts, leaving the others to be closed by System of a Down. He also played the closing act for the second stage at Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View, California on 1 July as well as Randalls Island, New York on 29 July. After the concert in Bristol, Virginia, Osbourne announced he would return for another year of Ozzfest in 2007.

Tickets for the 2007 tour were offered to fans free of charge, which led to some controversy. In 2008, Ozzfest was reduced to a one-day event in Dallas, Texas, where Osbourne played, along with Metallica and King Diamond. In 2010, Osbourne appeared as the headliner closing the show after opening acts Halford and Mötley Crüe. The tour, though small (only six US venues and one UK venue were played), generated rave reviews: “Ozzy Osbourne is one of the greatest entertainers in history—regardless of genre or medium.”—Artist Direct, 16 August 2010 “…we the eager maniacs of metal give OZZY the horns up for yet another blistering day of metal on two stages. “—Hard Rock Haven, 9 September 2010″Ozzfest rises up again, exceeding expectations…”— Orange County Register, 16 August 2010
2000s
Osbourne on tour in Japan in 1999

Down to Earth, Osbourne’s first album of new studio material in seven years, was released on 16 October 2001. A live version filmed in Japan, Live at Budokan, followed. Down to Earth went gold in 2001, and platinum in 2003. The album features the fan favourite “Dreamer”, a song which peaked at number 10 on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock Tracks. In June 2002, Osbourne performed the Black Sabbath anthem “Paranoid” at the Party at the Palace concert in the grounds of Buckingham Palace, an event in commemoration of the Golden Jubilee of Elizabeth II.In 2003 Osbourne recruited former Metallica bassist Jason Newsted after he left the band in 2000 (and Trujillo replaced him on Metallica’s line-up). Both Newsted and Osbourne were enthusiastic about recording an album together. He was parodied by The Wiggles in their 2003 video “Space Dancing” as Wozzy Hasbourne on a poster.

On 8 December 2003, Osbourne was rushed into emergency surgery at Wexham Park Hospital in Slough, England when he had an accident with his all-terrain vehicle on his estate in Jordans, Buckinghamshire. Osbourne broke his collar bone, eight ribs, and a neck vertebra. An operation was performed to lift the collarbone, which was believed to be resting on a major artery and interrupting blood flow to the arm. Sharon later revealed that Osbourne had stopped breathing following the crash and was resuscitated by Osbourne’s then personal bodyguard, Sam Ruston. While in hospital, Osbourne achieved his first ever UK number one single, a duet of the Black Sabbath ballad, “Changes” with daughter Kelly. In doing so, he broke the record of the longest period between an artist’s first UK chart appearance (with Black Sabbath’s “Paranoid”, number four in August 1970) and their first number one hit: a gap of 33 years. Since the quad accident, aside from some short-term memory problems, he fully recovered and headlined the 2004 Ozzfest, in the reunited Black Sabbath.

In 2005 Osbourne released a box set called Prince of Darkness. The first and second discs are collections of live performances, B-sides, demos and singles. The third disc contained duets and other odd tracks with other artists, including “Born to Be Wild” with Miss Piggy. The fourth disc is entirely new material where Osbourne covers his favourite songs by his biggest influences and favourite bands, including The Beatles, John Lennon, David Bowie and others. Osbourne also helped judge the 2005 series of the X-Factor.

In March 2006, he said that he hoped to release a new studio album soon with long time on-off guitarist, Zakk Wylde of Black Label Society. In October 2006, it was announced that Tony Iommi, Ronnie James Dio, Vinny Appice, and Geezer Butler would be touring together again, though not as Black Sabbath, but under the moniker Heaven and Hell (the title of Dio’s first Black Sabbath album). The response to the news on Osbourne’s website was that Osbourne wished Tony and Ronnie well and that there is only one Sabbath. Osbourne’s album, titled Black Rain, was released on 22 May 2007. Osbourne’s first new studio album in almost six years, it featured a more serious tone than previous albums. “I thought I’d never write again without any stimulation… But you know what? Instead of picking up the bottle I just got honest and said, ‘I don’t want life to go [to pieces]'”, Osbourne stated in a Billboard interview.
Osbourne at Blizzcon, 2009.

Osbourne revealed in July 2009 that he was currently seeking a new guitar player. While he states that he has not fallen out with Zakk Wylde, he said he felt his songs were beginning to sound like Black Label Society and fancied a change. In August 2009, Osbourne performed at the gaming festival BlizzCon with a new guitarist in his line-up Gus G. Osbourne also provided his voice and likeness to the video game Brütal Legend character The Guardian of Metal. In November, Slash featured Osbourne on vocals in his single “Crucify The Dead”, and Osbourne with wife Sharon were guest hosts on WWE Raw. In December, Osbourne announced he would be releasing a new album titled Soul Sucka with Gus G, Tommy Clufetos on drums, and Blasko on bass. Negative fan feedback was brought to Osbourne’s attention regarding the album title. In respect of fan opinion, on 29 March Osbourne announced his album would be renamed Scream.
2010s

On 13 April 2010, Osbourne announced the release date for Scream would be 15 June 2010.[64] The release date was later changed to 22 June. A single from the album, “Let Me Hear You Scream,” debuted on 14 April 2010 episode of CSI: NY. The song spent 8 weeks on the Billboard Rock Songs, peaking at No. 7. Osbourne held a Meet-And-Greet album signing at the main branch of HMV in his home-town Birmingham, followed later that day by an intimate show in the Birmingham Town Hall. The first four hundred fans that arrived at the store earlier in the day were given wrist bands, enabling free access to the show.

On 9 August 2010, Osbourne announced that the second single from the album would be “Life Won’t Wait” and the video for the song would be directed by his son Jack. When asked of his opinions on Scream in an interview, Osbourne announced that he is “already thinking about the next album”. Osbourne’s current drummer, Tommy Clufetos, has reflected this sentiment, saying that “We are already coming up with new ideas backstage, in the hotel rooms and at soundcheck and have a bunch of ideas recorded”

In October 2014, Osbourne will release “Memoirs of a Madman,” a collection celebrating his entire solo career. A CD version will contain 17 singles from across his career, never before compiled together. The DVD version will contain music videos, live performances, and interviews.

Black Sabbath reunion

It was announced on 11 November 2011 during a news conference at the Whisky a Go Go club on West Hollywood’s Sunset Strip that the original Black Sabbath line up of Ozzy, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, and Bill Ward would reunite for a world tour and new album, to be produced by Rick Rubin. Bill Ward dropped out for contractual reasons, but the project continued with Rage Against the Machine’s Brad Wilk stepping in for Ward on drums. On 21 May 2012, Black Sabbath played at the O2 Academy in their hometown Birmingham, their first concert since their reunion. The album, entitled 13, was released 11 June 2013, and topped both the UK Albums Chart and the US Billboard 200.
Other production work

Osbourne achieved greater celebrity status via his own brand of reality television. The Osbournes, a series featuring the domestic life of Osbourne and his family (wife Sharon, children Jack and Kelly, occasional appearances from his son Louis, but eldest daughter Aimee did not participate). The program became one of MTV’s greatest hits. It premiered on 5 March 2002, and the final episode aired 21 March 2005.
Ozzy Osbourne band in 2011

The success of The Osbournes led Osbourne and the rest of his family to host the 30th Annual American Music Awards in January 2003. The night was marked with constant “bleeping” due to some of the lewd and raunchy remarks made by Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne. Presenter Patricia Heaton walked out midway in disgust. On 20 February 2008, Ozzy, Sharon, Kelly and Jack Osbourne hosted the 2008 BRIT Awards held at Earls Court, London. Ozzy Osbourne appears in a commercial for the online video game World of Warcraft. He was also featured in the music video game Guitar Hero World Tour as a playable character. He becomes unlocked upon completing Mr Crowley and Crazy Train in the vocalist career.

Osbourne published an autobiography in October 2009, titled I Am Ozzy. Osbourne says ghost writer Chris Ayres told the singer he has enough material for a second book. A movie adaptation of I Am Ozzy is also in the works, and Osbourne says he hopes “an unknown guy from England” will get the role over an established actor.

A documentary film about Osbourne’s life and career, entitled God Bless Ozzy Osbourne, premiered in April 2011 at the Tribeca Film Festival and was released on DVD in November 2011. The film was produced by Osbourne’s son Jack.

On 15 May 2013 Osbourne, along with the current members of Black Sabbath, appeared in an episode of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation titled “Skin in the Game”.